Dusk
by twistedrealityII
Summary: *My Version of Twilight* After great misfortune, Bella has gone to live with her Uncle Charlie in Forks. There, in a local high school, she meets an interesting boy named Edward. Both sides are hiding a secret, but who will tell first?
1. Freedom

Chapter 1: Freedom

**Chapter 1: Freedom**

It all seemed so surreal to me. After so many years of being denied, I would finally be freed from my personal hell. Of course, I was ecstatic, but I wasn't sure if I could be around people again yet… No, not yet.

"Are you sure you don't need my help?" Charlie pressed. I knew he meant well, but a five-month-old compound fracture didn't mean I wasn't capable of supporting myself. Even the doctor said I would be up and walking again without this ridiculous cast in about a week.

"No, Uncle Charlie, it's OK," I smiled, opening the car door. I braced myself against the handle as I attempted to lift myself from the polyester seat.

"Alright," he said, beside me before I even had a chance to straighten up, "Bye, Bells." He kissed me on the forehead and returned to the driver seat. I waved to him goodbye as he drove out of the Forks High School parking lot. I sighed as I faced my new fear. Time to return to school, and I was extremely nervous. With my backpack becoming heavier by the minute, I began to use my supports and traveled to the front office.

I met with a very nice Mrs. Cope, and she showed a lot of sympathy towards me. This was one of the things I was feeling apprehensive about. The rest of the day went passively. Luckily, none of the teachers asked me to introduce myself. That was good. Then I met with a few people: Eric, Mike, and Jessica. They were nice enough to show me around, again, out of sympathy. But this wasn't what made my day one of my worst, considering that I got all my sanity scared out of me. It all happened during lunch…


	2. Terror

Chapter 2: Terror

**Chapter 2: Terror**

Jessica was babbling on about something that I stopped listening to minutes ago. I sat down with her at their table, not eating. I pulled the sleeve of my sweater to further conceal my entire arm. There was just something in my dark past that I didn't want to be reminded of in any way. If I ever was, I would never be able to handle it. I still have nightmares.

I had to get my mind off it. I looked around, out of boredom when something caught my eye: five students who were isolated in one table. They didn't look like they were talking to each other. It didn't look like either of them touched their food. But that wasn't what I was staring for. Sure, it perplexed me, but that wasn't why.

They all looked pale, if not sickly. And yet, they were all… the word, 'beautiful,' couldn't even begin to describe their appearance. One of the girls was blonde, and one of the most stunning women I'd ever seen… No, she _was _the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. The other girl had short black, spiky hair and reminded me of a pixie. One of the boys was tall and extremely muscular with black curly hair and the other was also tall, but not as muscular and honey blonde. But the last one…

I examined the last boy with detail. His facial features were perfectly angular –high cheekbones, strong jaw line, straight nose, and full lips. From afar, his eyes looked… topaz. His hair was an unusual bronze color, and looked a bit messy, but still nice. My observation was interrupted by a hand on my shoulder, shaking me.

"Bella, are you listening to me?" Jessica demanded. "I'm sorry," I faced her, "I wasn't really paying attention…" She looked to the direction that I was facing earlier. "Oh," she said in a tone that made me slightly blush, "You were staring at _them_, weren't you?" They way she said 'them,' made it obvious that she knew who I was staring at. I nodded.

"They're the Cullens," she pointed to them individually, "Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, and Edward." Edward, huh? "They were all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife," she continued. "Really?" I said, catching myself staring again… at the one named Edward. I couldn't understand why, but I was deeply intrigued by him.

Then he suddenly turned and looked at me, his piercing gaze intimidating. I looked down immediately, my cheeks flushing. "Edward Cullen's staring at you," Jessica told me. "I know," I replied, "Wait… still?" "Uh huh." "Oh no," I hid in my arms. I was never good at dealing with people staring. "The Cullens don't like anybody, so you have nothing to worry about," I could almost hear her smiling. Was my irrational fear _that _obvious?

Just then, the bell rang. I hurried to get to class and get away from that intense glare. Biology, a subject that I was looking forward to. Mr. Banner signed my paper and pointed to where my seat was. Someone up there, in heaven, must have had it in for me, because I looked to see the boy named Edward sitting beside my empty seat. Oh no.

My grip on my crutches tightened as I pulled myself down the aisle and sat beside him. I placed my crutches against the side of the table and fished my biology books out of my bag. I flinched at a metallic sound. I looked to see that he had moved his chair as far away from me as possible. As Mr. Banner began his lesson, Edward tensed and his jaw tightened. But his actions weren't what frightened me.

It was his eyes. Earlier I could have sworn that his eyes were topaz. Now, they were as black as coal. They had a blood lust in them. A murderous glare in them that reminded me of… of… Rachel and Bill. It hurt to say their names. My trauma was never going to leave me, ever. I couldn't stand it. I had to get away. I only had one secret weapon on my side: sympathy.

"Mr. Banner!" I called, desperate. "Yes, Isabella?" he turned immediately. I felt many pairs of eyes on me as I begged, "My leg… it hurts… Can I go to the clinic, please?" False agony showed on my face, mixed with desperation. "Of course," he said, gesturing to the door. "Thank you," I got up, ignoring my books, and hastily walked to the door. When I was at the doorframe, I stopped. I looked back to see if he still had that vicious expression on his face. His face changed, now staring at me with confusion.

"I'll have someone give you your books later," Mr. Banner said, "Just go." I continued on my way. It was a good thing he was foolish enough not to realize that I had no idea where I was going. How could I? But that wasn't important to me right now. I just needed to get away, and I was successful. Now I just needed to hold out until classes were over. I mean, like I would participate in Gym with my condition.

I headed to the administrative building to call for my ride home. I was in no hurry, so by the time I would get there it would be dismissal.


	3. Puzzle

Chapter 3: Puzzle

**Chapter 3: Puzzle**

"What seems to be the problem, Ms. Swan?" the doctor asked. Uncle Charlie had heard about my little 'episode' during Biology class that day, so he had me go to the hospital to get checked. He was ridiculously worried about me.

"Call me Bella," I informed him, "I think I might have just twisted my leg in the wrong direction."

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything serious. It will recover in a few days' time," he smiled. His smile was warm and friendly. A kind of smile that I would have wished to be greeted with when I was living in Phoenix.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time, doctor…" my mind struggled to remember the kind doctor's name. "Cullen. But you can call me Carlisle," a smile reappeared on his face. "Cullen…" I repeated absentmindedly. Wasn't that the name of…?

"_They're the Cullens: Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, and Edward. They were all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife."_

I remembered the conversation that I had had with Jessica at lunch.

"Does my name sound familiar?" he asked. "Umm… well, I think my seatmate had that name," I lied. "You must be referring to my youngest son, Edward. He's about you age," Carlisle thought aloud, "Have you met?" "No," I replied, "I left the classroom before class even started so…"

I became curious. But I thought it improper to ask a complete stranger about his family.

"You adopted them?" I asked. "Yes," he answered. "That's very kind of you," I remarked. "They're wonderful children, especially Edward," he smiled. Suddenly, a man came in.

"Excuse me, Dr. Cullen, someone is asking for you," he said.

"Does he have an appointment?" Carlisle asked. "It's your son, Edward," the man informed, "He needs to speak to you." Edward? What was he doing here? I didn't want to see his eyes again. I really didn't think I could handle it. _"Speak of the devil," _I wanted to say, but it would offend Carlisle, I guessed.

"Excuse me," Carlisle said, slipping out of the room. My curiosity overpowered my fear. I found myself standing near the door, listening and watching carefully.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked, concern showing in his voice.

"I have to go, Carlisle. I have to go _now_." There was urgency in his soft, velvety tone.

"What's happened?" Carlisle asked.

"Nothing. Yet. But it will, if I stay." I wasn't getting anything from this conversation. But my mind's irrational need to solve mysteries kept my body from moving away. I saw Carlisle reach to touch Edward, but he cringed away from his hand.

"I don't understand." _"Neither do I," _I wanted to say aloud. But it would blow my cover.

"Have you ever… Has there ever been a time…" he couldn't finish his sentence. I could sense Carlisle's concern, and Edward's desperation. I saw the wild light in his eyes. "Has any one person ever smelled better to you than the rest of them? _Much _better?" What did he mean by that? Was he crazy, or was I losing it?

"Oh," was all Carlisle said. He understood what he meant… What was going on? Edward's face fell in… shame? Carlisle reached out again, ignoring it when Edward recoiled again. He put his hand on his shoulder.

"Do what you must to resist, son. I will miss you. Here, take my car. It's faster," Carlisle offered. Resist? Resist what? Suddenly, I felt the direction of the air-con face me. Edward suddenly stiffened. Carlisle became even more worried.

"It's Bella, isn't it?" Carlisle asked. Edward nodded. I smelled good to him? Was that what he meant? But earlier, he moved _away_ from me, not closer. Wait… he was trying to resist my scent? What kind of screwed up conversation topic was this?

Suddenly, Carlisle was right in front of me. I jumped. How did he…? I didn't even see him!

"What did you hear?" he asked. "What do you mean?" I lied, "I just wanted to ask you where the bathroom was." He pointed to a door right beside Edward. I walked there. I felt Edward stiffen even more as I passed him. The moment I closed the door to the bathroom, I pressed my ear against the door. I was desperate to understand. The sounds were muffled, but still understandable.

"What is she thinking?" I heard Carlisle ask. "That's another part of the problem," Edward replied, "For some reason, I can't hear anything." What were they talking about _now_? First, they talk about scents. Now, they talk about hearing. What's next, sight?

"Alice saw me leaving," Edward said. Ha-hah. Very funny. This was getting extremely irritating. "She also saw me… I was…" he couldn't finish, "It's one or the other. And Carlisle, I don't think I can control myself any longer."

"Then go now," Carlisle said urgently, "I'll tell everyone else the situation. Take my car."

"Thank you," Edward said, and I heard his footsteps slowly fade in the distance. I waited a few minutes before I got out of the bathroom, to play my role correctly. With an innocent look on my face, I returned to Carlisle.

"Is something wrong, Carlisle?" I asked. "Edward just has to leave for a while," he replied. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Oh, he just came to say goodbye," he answered. "Goodbye? Where is he going?" I pretended to be interested. "Visiting some old friends of his, and he isn't quite sure when he'll be back," Carlisle remained calm.

"OK, thank you for your time, Carlisle," I smiled. "Come back anytime, Bella," he smiled back. I left and reconvened with Uncle Charlie in the waiting room. But I was barely aware of him. My mind was tackling one of the most puzzling mysteries it had ever encountered: the Cullens.

Who were they? … Or _what _were they?


	4. Nightmare

Chapter 4: Nightmare

**Chapter 4: Nightmare**

"NO!" I screamed, waking up to find Uncle Charlie by my side. I grabbed onto him, not being able to erase the horrible memory from my mind.

"Shh, baby, it's OK," he hugged me, rocking me back and forth.

"Charlie, I… I… I'm sorry, I…" I sobbed, "I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm s-sorry…"

"It's OK, baby, Shh," he carried me into his arms. I was glad that I was twenty pounds underweight, because he would have had a difficult time doing so.

Uncle Charlie brought me downstairs and sat me down onto the couch. I couldn't stop crying. There was already a big black spot on his shirt.

"Bella, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," I cried, "This is the fifth time already and I-"

"Shh, it's OK," he cut me off; "You don't need to cry. You're safe, no one will hurt you."

"I just… I can't… I can't…" I breathed.

"It's OK," he embraced me once again, which was exactly what I needed; "Those nasty people will never bother you again, OK? I'm here, and I promise they won't hurt you. Ever."

"OK," I whispered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

"I keep seeing the same things happen over and over again," tears were streaming down my face, "And I always have the same nightmares. I always see them, they're always there."

I had been reliving my tortures in my mind. Those people, Rachel and Bill –wince–, always made an appearance. How could I forget them, after all? They were my… my biological parents. It hurt to know that I had the blood of those monsters running through my veins. And they got their sadistic satisfaction from me, their own daughter, for four years.

There were scars all over my body. The compound fracture was the most painful memory. When Bill was in a bad mood and I spilled something over him accidentally. He grabbed his metal bat and…

I wanted to die. I had made an attempt at my life about… thirty-seven times. There were scars swirling around both wrists, and I've been to the ER a thousand times. The doctors might've mistaken my parents to have Munchausen's syndrome. I didn't know.

I had told my aunt, Cathy, about it. But she didn't believe me until after I got the compound fracture. Rachel and Bill were arrested, and she got custody of me. But she thought that I should get out of Phoenix and live with Charlie. She thought I would forget, but obviously, she was wrong.

"You have school in the morning," Uncle Charlie said, "Do you want to stay home?"

"No, I'll go," I looked down, "I'll just stay up until then…"

"Want me to stay up with you?"

"No, you should go back to sleep. I'll be fine."

"OK…" he hesitated, and then went back upstairs.

I hated feeling this way. I hated feeling like a burden. But I _was _a burden. I've thought of running away and getting my own place, but I didn't see that that was possible at the moment. I was flat-out broke.

I had to deal with it for now.


	5. Heart

Chapter 5: Heart

**Chapter 5: Heart**

The past few days of school, Edward had been absent. I couldn't help but feel partially responsible for it.

"_Has any one person smelled better to you? _Much _better?"_

"_It's Bella, isn't it?"_

"_Do what you must to resist, son. I will miss you."_

No, I _was _the reason for his sudden disappearance. And I felt worse because of it. As if, I didn't already feel like a pile of dirt. And the lack of sleep I've had just made purple semicircles under my eyes. But hey, I had a grade-point average to keep. No sleeping during class.

It was snowing today when I got up. I took an alternative route to my classes, seeing to it that I wasn't hit with any snowballs. Mike was organizing some kind of snowball wars or something. He didn't realize the dark clouds, indicating rain, which would ruin his plans. But hey, that was Mike.

It was lunchtime once again. When I entered the cafeteria, I felt anxiety in the pit of my stomach. I had no idea why, though. I decided to just buy a drink and sit down. I needed to fill my stomach with _something_. I knew that it was pointless, but I looked over to the Cullens' table only to find that…

He was back. I was whispering a stream of profanities in my head. You could call me a bit of a 'goody-two-shoes.' I saw the Cullens laughing and playing, which in some way thwarted my suspicions at their humanity.

Then, I saw Edward's head about to turn in my direction. I looked down before I gave a chance for our eyes to meet, hiding in my arms.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica whispered to me.

"He doesn't look _angry_, by any chance, does he?" I asked nervously.

"No," she reported, "should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me very much," that was a major understatement.

"I already told you," she reassured, "The Cullens don't like anybody. Well, that is, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you."

"Stop looking at him!" I whisper-shouted. She giggled and then did what I said. The rest of the time was spent looking at the table. Even though I wanted to look some more. You know, try to give an incentive to think that the Cullens were human, and that I was probably overanalyzing like I usually do.

The bell rung, and with my very recently freed leg, walked to class. It wasn't that difficult. My leg was slightly cramping from the disuse, but it wasn't at all difficult. I got to my seat, seeing that Edward wasn't there yet. Was he going to cut class? That possibility fueled my hope. Hope that I wouldn't have to see those vicious, black eyes again.

I grabbed my personal notebook for sanity. I needed to do something. The notebook I took out was one I used for writing songs. But it was something I hadn't done in a long time. In this moment where I needed to take my mind to a place far away, I was about to continue something that was left hanging years ago.

_Inside Your Heaven_

The words that I (actually by Carrie Underwood) had written on top of the page, back when I thought that my heart was capable of loving… But over time, it hardened. I forgot how to trust, forgot how to love… Dormant was my heart now, creating a shell around it. I didn't want to get hurt. Not again.

I slightly jumped when I heard a metal scrape against the linoleum. But my heart didn't react, just to be expected. I tried to concentrate on putting words to the melody in my mind. I might as well finish what I started.

"Hello," a soft, velvety voice greeted. I jumped again, but once again, my heart didn't react. Out of courtesy, I finally looked up. He was smiling. I found myself looking into his honey-colored eyes, and he was staring back. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he began politely, "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan." Who was this and what had he done with the cold-blooded murderer sitting beside me last week? This obviously was _not _the same person I encountered last week. He certainly looked the same. Same bronze-colored hair, same pale white skin, same facial features…

"Is something wrong?" he asked. I closed my notebook, deciding to finish it later.

"No… How do you know my name?" I asked.

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive," he answered. I frowned.

"No," I said, "I meant, why did you call me Bella?"

"Do you prefer Isabella?" he seemed confused.

"No, I like Bella," I blushed, "But I would think that my uncle, Charlie, would be calling me Isabella behind my back. I mean, when I first got here, that's what everyone called me."

"Oh," he said. After half a second he said, "My father, I believe you've met him, called you Bella when he was talking about you." Then he looked away quickly. Was he scrambling for an excuse or something? Inconsistency…

"Get started," Mr. Banner instructed. I had forgotten that Edward and I would be partners.

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward offered. I stared at him blankly in disbelief. What, was he raised in the twentieth-century or something? The chivalry was something I wasn't used to. "Or, I could start, if you wish," he said quietly.

"No, I'll go first," I blushed again as I looked under the microscope. After a moment's glance, I began to remove it, "Prophase…"

"Do you mind if I look?" his hand moved to stop mine. There was static, but it wasn't normal. It was an electric shock that emitted from a _cold _substance: his skin. I yanked my hand out of the way.

"I'm sorry," he said, and then looked under the microscope. "Prophase," he agreed. He wrote it down on the piece of paper with perfectly legible handwriting. He changed the slide and looked at it for half a second. "Anaphase," he said as he wrote it down.

"May I?" I asked idiotically. If he was able to identify the first slide correctly, of course he wouldn't get this one wrong. He slid the microscope towards me and I looked only to find he was correct. I frowned at my own stupidity.

"Slide three?" I held out my hand for the slide, not removing my eyes from the eyepiece. I felt him drop it onto my hand, not touching my skin. But I still felt the atmosphere cool down. I never noticed the temperature change last time because I left too abruptly.

I changed the slide and glanced at it, "Interphase…" I shivered. I held my sweater in closer, only to realize that it exposed the cuts on my wrists. "Shoot," I muttered as softly as possible as I too abruptly covered them, accidentally hitting the microscope and causing it to slide to the edge of the table. I reached to grab it when Edward's slender fingers beat me to it. Our skin made contact again; I immediately pulled my hand away.

"I'm sorry," I looked down.

"It's alright," he smiled –to comfort me, I guessed –crookedly. My heart thumped, and I was sure that he heard it. He made my heart beat… It was probably nothing. We continued like this for the next two slides, and it didn't take that long. We were the only ones done. Everyone else seemed to be having problems.

I caught myself staring into his eyes again, as he gazed back, noticing a slight… no, a _major _difference.

"Did you… get contacts?" I asked abruptly.

"No," he smiled.

"Oh, I thought that there was something different about your eyes…" Suddenly, Mr. Banner showed up. He looked over our answers,

"So Edward, didn't you think Isabella should get a chance under the microscope?"

"Bella," he corrected before answering, "Actually, she identified three of the five." I really wished he didn't say that.

"Have you done this lab before?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Not with onion root…" I blushed, embarrassed.

"Whitefish blastula?" he probed. I just nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?" I nodded again. "Well," he pursed his lips as he left, "I guess it's good you two are lab partners."

Sure, you could call it good… If good meant driving me insane with a lab partner who had a multiple personality disorder. What was worse was that we had another half hour left… I opened my notebook to try to finish the damned lyrics to the damned song, hoping that the rest of the time would be silent. I was wrong.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward said.


	6. Fabrications

Chapter 6: Fabrications

**Chapter 6: Fabrications**

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked.

"Not really…" I closed my notebook again. "_Just finish it at home," _I told myself, _"No need to be rude."_

"You don't like the cold," he guessed.

"I don't like anything in particular," I said curtly, not looking at him. My words came out a lot harsher than they'd meant to be.

"So, why did you come here?" he asked.

"It's… complicated," I winced at remembering the reason.

"I think I can keep up," he insisted. Stupid rules of courtesy… I had to lie through my teeth now.

"Before I came here, I was living with my aunt," I explained, leaving out as much detail as possible, "My parents" –wince– "became… ineligible to take care of me."

"What happened?" he sounded worried. I looked up at him, seeing my pained expression from his point of view.

"They… died in a car accident," I lied. I was an extremely bad liar, but my sad expression should be convincing enough. "They were… coming home from a party. Dad was drunk, mom refused to wear her seatbelt because it would ruin her dress… Well, you know the rest…"

"I'm so sorry," he empathized, "So… why didn't you stay with your aunt in Phoenix?"

"I was extremely depressed afterwards," I was telling the truth this time, "My aunt thought that I should come here, to forget." _"She was wrong, of course," _I wanted to say.

"But you're unhappy here," he said.

"I'd be unhappy anywhere," I frowned, "What I've gone through isn't exactly something you forget that easily… But coming here seems to make everything worse…"

"Why?" That word, that one simple word, struck a chord. I barely knew this person, and I was about to pour my heart out to him.

"Why does it matter to you?" I demanded, looking away.

"That's a good question," he seemed amused at his own answer. I became irritated. "Am I annoying, you?" Was I so obvious? An open book?

"No," I replied, "I'm annoyed at myself. I mean, here I am, telling a complete _stranger_ about my personal history, which is probably boring you. And there you are, listening to my angst-filled rambling with more patience than any person I know, and at the same time able to get more out of me than what I'm actually telling you. Why am I such an open book?" I let my face fall into my hands. My feelings were mixed to a point that I confused even myself.

"You're actually quite interesting," he argued, "And on the contrary, I find you very difficult to read."

"You must be a good reader then," I guessed.

"Usually," he agreed, smiling. I smiled weakly in response. "Huh," he said abruptly, "That's the first time I've seen you smile." He noticed _that_, too. Ugh.

"I guess…" I said absentmindedly, "It isn't very easy to make me smile... Thank you." Suddenly, as I flipped my hair, Edward leaned as far away from me as possible.

Then the bell rung and he was no longer by my side. He was out the door before I had a chance to say goodbye.

"Bye…" I muttered. For a whole half hour, I had been lying to a person who was more innocent than I'd thought. A wave of guilt washed over me, undeniable.

It was time to go to Gym… Basketball, I think… I was still in no condition to play anyway, so I thought it pointless…

The rest of the day went passively. I faced everything with the stony indifference that had been penetrated by one boy alone. Edward.


	7. Phenomenon

Chapter 7: Phenomenon

**Chapter 7: Phenomenon**

I went to the new truck that Uncle Charlie had bought me. I drove out of the garage as carefully as possible, getting to school in a few minutes. The time gap in between was unusual, because I didn't even notice it. But time _was _relative. I parked my truck and clutched onto the door for balance. It was as if the parking lot was an ice-skating rink.

For some reason, today seemed… empty. I mean, more empty than _usual_. There was the feeling of apprehension again in the pit of my stomach. It felt like butterflies, but I knew that wasn't it, because my heart was still inactive… Just as it had been for the last four years. Suddenly…

I heard a loud gasp. I looked around wildly to see where the fire was. I saw Edward standing by his car, a horrified expression on his face. Then I saw it… no fire, but a van that was swerving towards… me. I froze, my muscles locked into place.

It wasn't fair. After everything I've been through and everything I have yet to experience... I finally lost my desire to take my own life, and now I was at the mercy of death. I chuckled darkly in my mind. I never thought I would go like this.

My eyes closed in the midst of my insanity, waiting for the van to crush me to death. It was pointless, anyway. Because, even if I wanted to, I couldn't move out of the way. The fear paralyzed me. I just stood there waiting, wishing that it would be over with as soon as possible. My legs felt hollow and numb.

Then I felt something cold wrap around my waist, and my feet were off the ground. My head hit the ground, and I heard a cracking sound. Suddenly, the cold around my waist disappeared. And I was on the icy ground. I was wondering if I was unconscious, because I conformed limply to whatever was happening. Then the cold object was around my waist again, sliding me across the ice and then holding me tight against another cold object.

I heard glass shattering and crashing. I heard screams and shrieks of fear. But my eyes refused to open. I was half-conscious, I guessed.

"Bella? Bella, can you hear me?" an urgency in the velvety tone of his voice, as he shook me gently. I knew who it was, of course. It was Edward. But still, my eyes wouldn't open. Maybe it was in shock, maybe it was in pain.

The blow to my head against the ice finally had its effect on me. It was painful, but it was nothing compared to what I had been through. In those four years, I had experienced every single type of pain in every degree. But even so, I still couldn't move.

"Bella? Bella?" he shook me harder. Then I realized what had happened.

When I saw the van about to crush me, I wasn't having a moment of insanity, but I was fainting. And the whole time, I had fainted. The blow to my head made me unconscious. But strangely, I could hear everything that was going on around me.

Maybe I was dead.

"Bella!" he shook me more violently. But I didn't respond. Then, I lost it. Everything became silent, and I knew I was truly unconscious now.

* * *

"Carlisle, what's happened? Is she alright?"

"She's absolutely fine. Well done, Edward." Well done? What happened? I felt like hell.

"Mm…" I mumbled. My eyes fluttered open.

"Bella," Edward sighed in relief.

"Edward?" I was confused. My voice was hoarse. How long had I been unconscious?

"Bella? Are you alright?" Carlisle asked.

"Where…?" I was scrambling to remember what had happened.

"You're in the hospital," Carlisle answered, "You were in a car accident. Edward pulled you out of the way, do you remember?"

"I'm not sure…" I sat up too abruptly, my head throbbed.

"Careful," Edward said.

"Edward…" it all came back to me.

"Yes?" he replied anxiously.

"I fainted… and you saved me…" it wasn't a question.

"Yes," he said.

"But how did you get to me so fast?" I asked.

"What do you mean? I was standing right beside you, Bella," there was skepticism in his voice.

I shook my head, "You were by your car. I remember that."

"Carlisle," Edward turned his attention to him, worried.

"Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard," he asked.

"I'm fine," I insisted. Carlisle stepped closer and gently ran his fingers over my scalp. I winced when he touched the bump under my hair.

"Tender?" he asked.

"Not really," I replied.

"Well, your father is in the waiting room. You can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all," Carlisle smiled.

"Can't I go back to school?" I asked.

"Umm, Bella," Edward pointed out the window. The sky was a dark orangey-pink.

"How long…?" I was extremely confused.

"Just a few hours," Carlisle replied calmly.

"A few hours?" I groaned, "Oh no… Wait, you took the x-rays while I was unconscious, right?"

"Yes," Carlisle said.

"Oh no…" my face fell into my hands. He must have seen all the healed contusions…

"Do you want to stay?" Carlisle offered.

"No, no!" I swung my legs over the side of the mattress, sliding down until my feet were on the floor. I lost my balance, stumbling forward into Carlisle's arms. "Sorry," I blushed. He set me back on my feet, instructing,

"Take some Tylenol for the pain." Then he signed my chart, saying, "It sounds like you were lucky."

"Yeah," I looked at Edward, "Thank you… For saving me."

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"Umm… can I talk to you?" I asked.

"Of course," Edward said. I glanced at Carlisle, who was watching us intently.

"I'd like to speak to you alone, if you don't mind," I insisted in a low voice. He said nothing, just following me to the hallway.

"What is it, Bella?" he asked.

"You weren't anywhere near me when you saved me, and I didn't hit my head too hard. I mean, the fact that I'm standing here right now proves that," I said.

"Look where you're standing," he countered, "You're in a hospital right now."

"But even Carlisle said that it wasn't too serious," I argued.

"What do you _think_ happened, then?" he asked.

"OK, I know I was unconscious," I began, "But I heard and felt everything that was happening. You were holding me, and then you put me down on the ground to hold the van up. I know because I heard the metal sounds. I bet if we look, the dents will match the size of your hands."

"What are you talking about?" he raised his eyebrow.

"In any case," I tried a more logical approach, "Even if you _were_ standing right beside me, which you weren't, you couldn't have been fast enough to get out of the way. That van should've crushed us both, but here you are, not hurt at all, while I have a bump on my head. You would've at least slid on the ice or something."

"You think I lifted a _van _off of you?" he asked sarcastically, "Nobody will believe that, you know."

"I won't tell anybody," I said.

"Then why does it matter?" his voice became severe.

"OK, look," I tried a different approach, "I know I sound utterly insane right now-"

"Yes, you do," he commented coldly.

"Let me finish!" I demanded, "But just answer one question."

"What?" he glared. There the eyes were again. It made me rethink my question, and I was scrambling for another one. "Well?"

"Are… Are you even human?" the moment the words came out of my mouth, I regretted asking them.

"Nice," he whispered, "You're asking me if I'm human… Do I look otherwise?"

"Just answer the question," I insisted, "I… I'll believe anything you say right now because… I don't think I can trust my own thoughts."

"Well, you shouldn't," his tone was callous.

"Why did you even bother?" I asked quietly, hurt now. His expression changed,

"I don't know." Then he left, glancing back at me once, as if I was a crazy person. But… was I?

I felt the suppressed tears flow from the corners of my eyes. When I approached, Uncle Charlie asked. I just told him it was a late reaction of fear. I hated lying. But I had to.


	8. Ripples

Chapter 8: Ripples

**Chapter 8: Ripples**

Edward ignored me, so I did the same. But it didn't matter to me anymore. I say that, and yet, it's so empty. School went by, but it was too tedious. There was a pattern, and I figured it out. But I supposed that if I had disrupted the pattern, it would make things much worse. So my life went back to the numb and unfeeling void that it used to be… That is, before I met Edward.

I went back to the thoughts or raising money to get my own place. I came up with a plan, and I had to admit that Edward indirectly gave me the idea. The songs that I had written four years ago… there were many.

I went to my closet, reaching to the object that I had not used in a long time: my guitar. It was out of tune, but it didn't take long to fix that. I remembered each note, each chord and every word of each song. I practiced them up in my room.

My plan: I was going to roam around Forks and play songs where people passed by, and leave the case open for people who wanted to donate. In my case, it _was _like giving money to the poor. I knew that there had to be a place where people would pay a lot for that sort of entertainment.

While I practiced one of my songs, Uncle Charlie came in.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted.

"Hey," I said.

"So, you're playing again?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yeah," I explained, "I was hoping, Uncle Charlie, that maybe I could raise my own money. You know, go around and play my songs…"

"What do you need the money for?" he chuckled once.

"You know, better get started on my college fund," I lied, "I mean, I'll have to start sooner or later, right?"

"OK, Bells," he said, "That sounds like a good idea."

"I've already planned everything out," I told him, "After school, I'll go to… a nearby city. Is it alright with you if I come home at around six?"

"Of course," he smiled widely.

"Thanks, Uncle Charlie," I hugged him. But I wasn't smiling. I was lying to him, after all. He left me alone to practice.

But there was one song that I hadn't gotten around finishing, and it frustrated me.

_Inside Your Heaven_

Those three words that were on top of the page kept taunting me. I wasn't inspired to write that kind of love song. I turned the page to one of my favorites. _Day Dream _(actually by John Sebastian)

_What a day for a daydream  
What a day for a daydreamin' boy  
And I'm lost in a daydream  
Dreamin' 'bout my bundle of joy_

_And even if time ain't really on my side  
It's one of those days for takin' a walk outside  
I'm blowin' the day to take a walk in the sun  
And fall on my face on somebody's new mowed lawn_

_I've been havin' a sweet dream  
I been dreaming since I woke up today  
It's starring me and my sweet dream  
Cause she's the one that makes me feel this way_

_And you can be sure that if you're feelin, right  
A daydream will last 'til long into the night  
Tomorrow at breakfast you may prick up your ears  
Or you may be daydreamin' for a thousand years_

_What a day for a daydream  
What a day for a daydreamin' boy… Ooh… ooh…_

It really was one of my favorites, because I made it when I was in a good mood. It was a song for cheering people up. And that's what it did.

It was a favorite song for the people passing by. I sat on a bench in the park and played that song almost all the time. They seemed to like my other songs, too. That was good.

In three weeks' time, I had earned about two hundred dollars. I figured it was enough to pay a few days' rent. If I did this as a day job, it wouldn't be that hard to live independently. Maybe I could work at small clubs, too. I hear the pay's good.

I was slightly feeling better because my plan was working. I had arranged to look at a few places on Saturday. That's when my pleasing thoughts were interrupted.

"So… Jessica asked me to the spring dance," Mike looked down.

"That's great," I said with some enthusiasm, "You'll have a lot of fun with Jessica."

"Well…" he hesitated, "I told her I had to think about it."

"Why would you do that?" I demanded. Was Mike being stupid on purpose? Jessica must feel terrible…

"I was wondering if… well, you might be planning to ask me," he said. It wasn't that I didn't like Mike, but I was planning to do something that particular Saturday.

"Mike, I think you should tell her yes," I said gently.

"Did you already ask someone?" he looked sad. I hated making people feel bad. I knew Mike liked me, but… This wasn't good…

"No," I explained, "I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?" he asked rudely.

"I'm going to Seattle that Saturday," I answered honestly. I wasn't going to tell him why, of course.

"Can't you go some other weekend?" his tone became a bit unpleasant.

"Sorry, no. I made some arrangements," I made my tone a bit firmer, "So you shouldn't make Jessica wait any longer –it's rude." Jessica was one of my friends, and I wasn't going to allow another one of my friends to hurt my friend.

"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled. My face fell in my hands, I shook my head. This wasn't good at all.

I felt someone's eyes on me. Reflexively I looked at my lab partner. It was the first time in about a month. Edward was staring at me, and I caught myself staring back. I just couldn't seem to turn away. It was as if my mind was trying to rememorize his features. I realized that my dreams were as flawed as ever.

Yes, my dreams. For some reason I stopped having nightmares. Now, I had dreams about Edward. Maybe that was the reason why it didn't bother me so much that he was ignoring me, because I got to see him every night.

The dream was always the same: Edward was walking into the darkness and I tried to follow him. Every time, knowing that it would be in vain, I would beg him to stay. Yes, beg… it was embarrassing… But hey, he _was _the only person who has ever penetrated through the cold shell that shielded my hardened heart.

The bell rung, fishing me out of the deep crevices that were Edward's eyes. I started gathering my things when,

"Bella?" Suddenly my hearing was changed. It was as if I could hear again after a long time of being deafened. I had to admit, I missed his soft voice of velvet.

I looked at him, once again thrown into the crevice by my own recklessness. I waited for him to speak again, but we just continued staring at each other.

"Are you speaking to me again?" I asked nervously. I hadn't forgotten that I was scared of him. His anger was… intimidating.

"No, not really," he told me. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to get angry, not anymore. What was it about this boy that pulled me out of the numb fog every time I talked to him?

"Then what is it, Edward?" I breathed.

"I'm sorry," those words made me open my eyes, "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really." I looked at his expression. He meant what he was saying. But…

"I don't know what you mean."

"It's better if we're not friends. Trust me," he explained. Trust him… He was asking something impossible of me. I had forgotten how to trust. Any emotion that had anything to do with the heart, I had forgotten. I became shallow.

"You regret it, don't you?" I guessed.

"Regret? Regret what?" he demanded. I could sense the anger building up in him. I began to stiffen.

"Regret… not letting that van squish me," I said slowly, "That was it all along, wasn't it?"

"You think I regret saving your life?" he seethed. This was the sign to run before his eyes went black, "You don't know anything." OK, now was definitely the time to run.

I hastily grabbed my books and walked as quickly as possible to the door. Unfortunately, my leg was not ready to do that yet. I tripped, my things crashing onto the floor. While internally scolding myself for looking stupid, I tried to gather all of my things. Edward was there, and he got my books for me. He handed them to me.

"Thank you," I said in a detached, indifferent voice.

"You're welcome," his voice was still cold. With that, I got up and walked stiffly to my next class. This boy was very perplexing indeed.

Again, Gym went by passively. I was still in no condition to play, though. No, basketball was a bit too strenuous for my leg. I would wait until the sport changed into something a little less… hazardous.

After class, strangely, Eric was standing by my truck. I wondered what he wanted.

"Hi, Eric," I greeted.

"Hi, Bella," he swallowed loudly. What was he nervous about?

"What's up?" I asked.

"Uh, I was just wondering… if you would go to the spring dance with me?" his voice broke.

"I thought it was girls' choice…" I was flustered. Was this going to end the same way it did with Mike? I honestly had plans this on that Saturday…

"Well, yeah," he agreed.

"Thank you for asking me," I explained, "but I'm going to be in Seattle… I made some arrangements…"

"Oh… Maybe next time," he mumbled.

"Sure," I bit my lip. There wasn't going to be a next time. Unhappy ending once again. I sighed as I got into my truck and proceeded to drive down the parking lot. But then I was deeply irritated.

A stupid silver Volvo was blocking my way. Why wasn't it moving? Ugh… Wait… silver Volvo… Edward's car… Oh dear lord, why was he punishing me like this?

I jumped when I heard a tap on the window. I looked to see Tyler… the guy who nearly crushed me with his van… I rolled down the passenger window.

"I'm sorry, Tyler," I said earnestly, "I'm stuck behind Ed –Cullen…" I didn't feel like saying his name. Didn't want to give him the wrong impression.

"Oh, I know," he grinned, "I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here." Oh no, not a third. _"Edward, Edward, Edward, please move,"_ I begged, _"Please, please, please? Move!" _"Will you ask me to the spring dance?" Tyler asked.

"I'm not going to be in town that day, Tyler," I told him.

"Yeah, Mike said that."

"Then why –?" I began to ask.

"I was hoping you were just letting him down easy," he shrugged. Never mind, I wouldn't mind disappointing this guy. How dare he think that? If I didn't want to go with someone to the dance, I would tell them. But I had a _reason_. God…

"Sorry, Tyler," I tried to sound as earnest as possible, "I really am going to be out of town."

"That's cool," he said, "We still have prom." Before I could react, he strutted back to his car. Oh, how I was wishing for the third unhappy ending. Did this guy have to be so persistent? I was losing my patience now. I revved my engine; I was close to getting out of my truck walking up to his car directly.

Then, he finally moved. Why was he doing this to me? Why did it matter to me what he was doing to me? Whatever.

I headed to the park once again, continuing my day job. But once again, it was different. The ripple effect… I probably didn't earn as much as I could have because I didn't mean what I sang. And guess who I had to blame for that.

Edward was puncturing a hole in my shell, and slowly making my heart alive again.

But how?


	9. Invitation

Chapter 9: Invitation

**Chapter 9: Invitation**

I came back to school, as usual. I got out of my truck, as usual… My life had a large missing chunk in it. My goals were about to be fulfilled, but what would I do then? My life was a recurring series of black and white. Frozen. Time seemed frozen. Everything seemed… so… monotonous. What have I been doing all this time?

Suddenly, while I was rambling to myself the hardest questions of life, I dropped my keys. They plopped into a small puddle with a light splash. I bent down to pick them up, but then a familiar hand picked them up before me. Edward. The one who gave my life a bit more color. But right now, all he was doing was creating splashes of red.

I leaned back onto my truck, "How do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" he asked, holding out my key. I held out my hand for him to drop it in,

"Appearing out of thin air."

"Bella, it isn't my fault if you are completely unobservant," his words were wry, as if he were telling a joke.

I felt my heart beat for the first time in a very long time. The rhythm was something I wasn't used to. I never noticed that the beating pattern occurred every half of a second. What was wrong with it? He only said my name… He really was slowly giving my heart life.

"So, why the traffic jam last night? I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not making my death come sooner," it was difficult to speak. My heart was thudding in my ears. I hadn't heard it in a long time.

"That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance," then he laughed. My heart stopped. Finally, it went back to normal… Well, I meant, normal for _me_, which meant inactiveness.

"You…" I gasped. Not only was he creating splashes of red on this picture, he was making a big red dot in the middle.

"And I'm not pretending you don't exist," he said teasingly. Now he was adding crimson to the painting.

"So _are_ you trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler's van didn't do the job?" I snapped. Then he looked angry. Uh oh, time to run again.

"Bella, you are utterly absurd," he snapped back. I walked away. Since there were puddle everywhere, running wasn't exactly the best idea. "Wait," he pleaded. I ignored him. "I'm sorry, that was rude," he said, easily keeping up with me, "I'm not saying it isn't true, but it was rude to say it anyway."

"Why won't you leave me alone?"

"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me," he said. He started with a new sheet of paper, starting with the color pink. My heart was working again. Was this going to be a fourth? No, I wasn't going to allow it.

"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" I asked.

"You're doing it again," he pointed out.

I sighed, "Fine then. What do you want to ask?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday…" shock crossed my face, "You know, the day of the spring dance…" I wasn't going to allow a fourth rippling effect.

"Are you trying to be _funny_?" I finally looked at him.

"Will you let me finish?" I bit my lip. "I heard you say that you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride," he offered. I stopped, my face going blank.

"What?"

"Do you want a ride to Seattle?" he breathed.

"With who?" I was bewildered by his question.

"Myself, obviously," he answered slowly.

"Why?"

"Well," his tone was casual, "I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure that your truck can make it." Why was he doing this to me? I started walking again, and he followed.

"My truck works fine. But thank you for your concern," I said. I realized that I didn't really say no.

"But can your truck make it there in one tank of gas?" he was persistent.

"I don't see how that is any of your business," I grumbled, realizing that it still wasn't a no. My heart pattern became every tenth of a second, and I swore that he could hear it.

"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business," he countered. Then I found a loophole.

"Honestly, Edward, I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend."

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be." I stopped. My heart was on the fritz. Maybe it was from disuse. Well, I certainly hoped that was it. I looked into his eyes.

"It would be more… _prudent _for you not to be my friend," he stared back into my eyes, "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella." I stopped breathing. It was like my whole body disconnected from my brain and was trying to reboot. "Will you go to Seattle with me?"

"_No. No! NO! You can't and you know why!" _my brain was screaming. But my heart and body teamed up against it. I nodded. Why couldn't I say no to him? Now the whole sheet of paper was light pink.

"You really should stay away from me," he warned, "I'll see you in class." Then he fled.

Time had a whole new meaning for me. No longer did it seem frozen. The shell was cracked. Everyone else was using a rock, but Edward was using a sledgehammer. And it worked.

I found myself looking forward to Biology. It was strange, because at the same time, I still had fear. But that fear was slowly deteriorating, along with the shell that encrusted my heart.

The pictures were no longer black and white. It was as if I was a paper doll that was brought to life.

I was living again.


	10. Guess

Chapter 10: Guess

**Chapter 10: Guess**

Even though deep down –and when I say deep down, I mean to the deepest core –I was almost happy, it wasn't enough to show on the surface. There was no difference. I still looked glum and lifeless, just as before.

But there was one difference. A difference that almost no one would notice. There was a light in my eyes. At first, I was living. During the darkest four years of my life, I stopped wanting to live. Then I was taking my life for granted, living in a frozen, numb state.

Now, I was living again. I was struggling to be the happy person that I used to be four years ago… with some help, of course.

It was lunchtime again. I wasn't hungry, as usual. I never was hungry during lunch. I guess this was the reason why I was twenty pounds underweight. I just got a drink, as usual. Then…

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica said, "I wonder why he's sitting alone today." What? My head snapped up to see that she was telling the truth. He wasn't sitting with his family. Instead, he was isolated.

I felt some natural color return to my skin… about two percent of it. He looked at me, and my heart went on the fritz again. He motioned his finger for me to join him. I was startled. This was a complete one-eighty compared to a month ago. He winked at me, and my mouth fell open.

"Does he mean _you_?" Jessica asked.

"Maybe he needs help with his Biology homework…" I felt the uncertainty in my voice, "Um, I'd better go see what he wants…" Once again, I asked myself, _"Why can't you say no to him?" _

I walked to his table, stopping in front of the seat across him. This was my last chance to say no. My mind was working against my body. My head was saying no, but my heart was saying sit down. Oh, now of all times does my heart begin to work.

"Why don't you sit with me today?" he asked. My body overpowered my mind, I sat down. I stared at him for a moment. What was I going to say?

"This is… different…" Idiot.

"Well…" he hesitated, "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly."

"You know I don't have any idea what you mean," I said.

"I know," was all he said. I was a bit confused. "I think your friends are angry at me for stealing you."

"They'll survive," I didn't feel concerned about my friends for the moment. I was too busy wondering why I was sitting with Edward.

"I may not give you back, though," he teased. Or at least, I _hoped _that he was just teasing. I swallowed loudly.

"You look worried," he laughed.

"No," my voice broke, "Surprised, actually… What brought this on?"

"I told you," he smiled, "I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So I'm giving up."

"Giving up?" I repeated, baffled.

"Yes –giving up trying to be good. I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may."

"You lost me again," I admitted.

"I always say too much when I'm talking to you –that's one of the problems."

"Don't worry," I reassured, "I don't understand any of it."

"I'm counting on that."

"So," I guessed, "In plain English, are we friends now?"

"Friends…" he repeated thoughtfully.

"Or not," I mumbled, embarrassed. I was in no position to make any assumptions.

He smiled, "Well, we can try, I suppose. But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you."

My heartbeat suddenly went faster, "You say that a lot."

"Yes because you're not listening to me," he explained, "I'm still waiting for you to believe it. If you're smart, you'll avoid me."

My eyes involuntarily tightened, "I think you've made your opinion on the subject of my intellect clear, too." He smiled apologetically. "So," I said slowly, guessing, "As long as I'm being… not smart, we'll try to be friends?"

"That sounds about right." Finally, I guessed something right.

That reminded me of my suspicions at his humanity. I remembered when I questioned his being human. Let's see… changing eye colors, cold skin, smelling, hearing, seeing… extreme speed and super strength… What was he, modern-day Superman? No, stupid, Superman doesn't have cold skin and changing eye colors…

"What are you thinking?" he asked. I stopped playing with my lemonade bottle and looked up at him. He didn't look like the kind of person who would run around with a secret identity, saving lives and fighting bad guys. Not to mention the tights…

I blushed at the thought, "I'm trying to figure out what you are…" He was still smiling. I found that a bit odd.

"Are you having any luck with that?" he asked.

"Not too much," I admitted.

He chuckled, "What are your theories?" When I tried to think of him as a superhero, I blushed even more. No way was I ever going to tell him. Over my dead body. "Won't you tell me?" he smiled encouragingly.

I shook my head, "Too embarrassing." He wasn't Flash, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, or Wolverine… No, of course not. None of them had _all _of his qualities. Nope. But he couldn't possibly be human.

"That's _really_ frustrating, you know," he remarked. Oh, _I _was being frustrating? Look who was talking. I let my new emotions take over. It was _my _turn to break out hell. I learned it from my mom, who was the best at it.

"No, I can't _imagine _why that would be frustrating at all –just because someone refuses to tell you what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic little remarks that were specifically designed to keep you up at night wondering what they could possibly mean… now, why would that be frustrating?" He frowned, which meant it was working. I continued, because my turn wasn't quite done yet.

"Or better, say that person also did a wide range of bizarre things –from saving your life under impossible circumstances one day to treating you like a pariah the next, and he never explained any of that either. That also, would be _very_ non-frustrating." That was probably the longest speech I had ever made in my life. _Now_, I was done.

"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?" he asked. _"Only since I met you." _

"I don't like double standards." Then Edward suddenly chuckled. "What?"

"Your boyfriend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you –he's debating whether or not to come and break up the fight," he laughed again.

"I don't know who you're talking about," I said in an icy voice, "But I'm sure you're wrong anyway."

"I'm not," he disagreed, "I told you, most people are easy to read."

"Except me, of course," I added.

"Yes. Except for you. I wonder why that is?" he stared into my eyes. I looked away, finally opening the lemonade bottle in my hands. I took a sip then kept my eyes on the table, thinking…

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked.

"No. You?"

"No, I'm not hungry," he said.

"Could you do me a favor?" I asked.

"That depends on what you want."

"It's not much," I explained, "I just wondered… If you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good? Just so I'm prepared."

"That sounds fair," he agreed, smiling.

"Thanks," I looked up at him.

"Then can I have one in return?" he asked, hopeful.

"One," I allowed.

"Tell me _one _theory." Uh oh. Needed to think.

"Not that one," I flushed.

"You didn't qualify, you just promised one answer," he argued.

"And you've broken promises yourself," I reminded.

"Just one theory –I won't laugh," he promised.

"Yes, you will," I reassured. Needed to think… If not comic book characters, then mythical creatures… Werewolf? No, they need full moons, dimwit. Zombie? But he can speak, walk, and do everything like a normal human being could. Mermaid? … OK, now I was just being stupid. What was left then?

Vampire? … Huh… that didn't sound _too _farfetched… But _if _he _were _a vampire, who I'm sure he _isn't_, he would be sucking my blood right now. But something about this conclusion didn't seem as improbable as the others… Needed more time to think…

Too late. His liquid topaz eyes smoldered my concentration. "Please?" he whispered, my mind going blank. How in the world…?

"Er, what?" my head was spinning.

"Please tell me just one little theory," he pleaded, holding my eyes in his.

"Um, well…" Not a vampire, not a werewolf, not a zombie, definitely not a mermaid. Not a superhero, either. Think, THINK! Gah, never mind, just pick one! "Bitten by a radioactive spider?" Shoot. Here comes the flood of laughter.

"That's not very creative," he chided.

"I'm sorry, that's all I've got," I lied. There were a ton.

"You're not even close," he smiled, fighting back his laughter.

"No spiders?"

"Nope."

"No radioactivity?"

"None."

"Dang," I sighed.

"Kryptonite doesn't bother me either," he laughed.

"You're not supposed to laugh, remember?" He pressed his lips together. "I'll figure it out eventually," I promised.

"I wish you wouldn't try," he said.

"Because…?"

He smiled, "What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?" My eyes widened.

"Oh, I see," I said, trying to hide my alarm.

"Do you?" he asked.

"You're dangerous?" I guessed. If I was so scared, why wasn't I running away. "But not bad," I shook my head, "No, I don't believe that you're bad."

"You're wrong," he whispered. He played with the bottle cap, spinning it like a top. My thoughts were mangled. Am I scared, or am I not? Do I want to be near him or not? Then I realized…

I jumped to my feet, "We're going to be late."

"I'm not going to class," he said.

"Why not?" I was slightly disappointed. I wanted to… What did I want, anyway?

"It's healthy to ditch now and then," he explained.

"Well, I'm going," I told him. What was I doing? Did I really think that saying that would change his mind?

"I'll see you later then," he said casually as I left. I looked back at him and smiled. It was what I owed him, after all.

"Bye."


	11. Blood Type

Chapter 11: Blood Type

**Chapter 11: Blood Type**

Time for Biology, and Edward was ditching. How I wished I could go with him. But I already acknowledged the fact that I was a 'goody-two-shoes.' I couldn't help it.

I sat at our table, realizing something. I was beginning to like Edward… OK, so maybe I was already past that stage… I really, _really_ liked him. I knew it was pointless, though. I mean, after what Jessica told me.

"_The Cullens don't like anybody. Well, that is, they don't notice anyone enough to like them."_

So maybe Edward was just paying attention to me out of courtesy. I mean, he _is _chivalrous… I sighed. Well, I guess the wasting of finite resources _was_ everyone's business… Why was I making excuses?

Which reminded me, I had to find a way to tell the broker to reschedule… Ugh… I forgot about that.

"… blood-typing today…" was all I heard from Mr. Banner. I was too preoccupied with my situation that I hadn't paid attention. Blood-typing… blood… Oh no…

Mr. Banner was showing the class what to do, and Mike had already pricked his finger. I felt my face turn into a pale shade of green as I laid my head onto the table. I felt like puking.

"Bella, are you alright?" Mr. Banner asked. I grumbled in response. My head whirled. "Mike, please help Bella to the clinic," Mr. Banner instructed.

"Sure," I heard Mike say. I felt myself being carried. I wasn't sure: my eyes were closed. Those few minutes felt like hours. And the whole time, I felt like vomiting.

"Bella, are you OK?" he asked.

"No… Mike, how much farther?" I mumbled.

"Just a bit more," he answered.

"Put me down on the sidewalk," I ordered weakly. I _couldn't _go any farther. Not without barfing all over him.

I felt the cold water against my body, face down on the ground, and welcomed it. At least I wasn't moving. I waited for myself to drift into unconsciousness when...

"Bella?" I heard someone shout. Edward. But my body didn't react. It was rendered useless by the smell. "What's wrong –is she hurt?" he demanded. He was worried about me… But who wouldn't? I was on the sidewalk and probably looked like a corpse.

"I think she's fainted," I heard Mike say, "I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger." Yes, I was already aware that I fainted at the smell of blood, thank you very much.

"Bella. Can you hear me?" Edward's voice sounded closer.

"Go away, Edward," I moaned. He just laughed.

"I was taking her to the nurse," Mike said, "But she wouldn't go any farther."

"I'll take her. You can go back to class," Edward said.

"No. I'm supposed to do it," Mike protested. I felt myself being carried again, but who was it this time? My eyes popped open to see that it was Edward.

"Put me down," I ordered, not wanting to ruin his clothing. I felt sick.

"You look awful," he told me. I knew that.

"Put me back on the side walk," I said. Seeing the pavement move under my feet was not the best idea.

"So you faint at the sight of blood? And not even your own blood," I could hear the smile in his voice.

I heard Edward kick the office door open.

"Oh, my," I heard Ms. Cope gasp.

"She fainted in Biology," Edward said. I closed my eyes again, feeling a bit worse. My body fell asleep. It didn't want to move. "Bella?" he shook me.

"I'm fine…" I whispered. Then I was suddenly on a bed. The dizziness began to wear off. At least I wasn't moving anymore.

"Does this happen often?" I heard the nurse ask beside me.

"Sometimes…" I answered. I heard Edward cough.

"You can go back to class now," the nurse told him.

"I'm supposed to stay with her," he explained. His words didn't make sense to me. But my head wasn't quite ready to function yet.

"I'll go get some ice for your forehead, dear," the nurse said, and I heard her leave. I didn't know where Edward was, but I knew he was there.

"You were right," I moaned.

"I usually am," he sounded amused, "But about what in particular this time?"

"Ditching is healthy," I sighed. He laughed,

"You scared me for a moment there. I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods."

"Ha –ha," I said sarcastically.

"Honestly –I've seen corpses with better color. I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder."

"Poor Mike," I sighed, "I'll bet he's mad."

"He absolutely loathes me," he told me.

"You can't know that," I disagreed.

"I saw his face –I could tell."

"How did you see me? I thought you were ditching," I started the conversation again. The sound of his voice was making me feel better.

"I was in my car, listening to a CD," he explained. The nurse came back.

"Here you go, dear," she laid the ice pack across my forehead, "You're looking better."

"I think I'm fine," I sat up, pulling it away.

"We've got another one," I heard Ms. Cope. I got off the cot, handing the ice pack to Mrs. Hammond,

"I don't need this." Then I caught the scent of blood and immediately began to feel a bit sick again.

"Oh no," Edward said, "Get out to the office, Bella."

"Help me," I said, clinging onto his side. He didn't seem to mind. Well, I hoped he didn't. We walked into the office.

"You actually listened to me," Edward remarked, sounding a little astounded.

"I smelled the blood," my nose wrinkled in disgust.

He stared at me in blank surprise, "People can't smell blood."

"I can. That's what makes me sick. It smells like rust… oxidized iron…" He still stared at me. "What?"

"Nothing," he said. Then Mike went to us.

"_You _look better," he said rudely. I sensed some hostility.

"Just keep your hand in your pocket," my grip on Edward became tighter. I was very sensitive to the smell of blood.

"It isn't bleeding anymore," he replied, "Are you going back to class?"

"Are you kidding? I'd have to turn around and come back.," I exclaimed.

"Yeah, I guess…" Mike mumbled, "So are you going this weekend? To the beach?" Uh oh, I was planning to rearrange my meeting with the broker on that day.

"I don't know, Mike," I answered honestly, "My schedule's pretty messed up right now, but I'll see what I can do."

"Just in case, we're meeting at my dad's store, at ten," he told me.

"I'll remember," I promised. Although, I had no intentions of showing up. I remembered that my uncle and I were visiting the Blacks. They were his friends, and he wanted me to meet them.

"I'll see you in Gym, then."

"See you," I replied. When he left I groaned, "Gym…" It wasn't like I was going to do anything. It was pointless.

"I can take care of that," Edward murmured, "Just go sit down and look pale." I did so, sitting down in one of the folding chairs. I closed my eyes, not sure what was going to happen.

"Ms. Cope," Edward called.

"Yes?" she responded.

"Bella has gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?"

"Do you need to be excused, too, Edward?"

"No, I have Mrs. Goff, she won't mind."

"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better, Bella." I nodded.

"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?" Edward offered.

"I'll walk," I said, getting up. Edward opened the door for me as we went out. He really was chivalrous. I contemplated this thought.

As we walked in the parking lot, I stopped. I closed my eyes, lifting my face to the light rain. I realized that skipping class meant I could spend more time on the sidewalk bench. I could earn more, but that wasn't why I was happy. I loved playing my guitar. I had no idea how I lasted four years without it. I looked at Edward.

"Thanks," I smiled, "It's worth getting sick to miss Gym." I smiled whenever I was with Edward. I needed to thank him somehow…

"Anytime," he said. Then, an idea crossed my mind,

"Are you going this Saturday?" If he was coming, I think I would reconsider all my plans…

"I really don't think I was invited," he smiled wryly.

"Oh, OK," I sighed, hoping that my disappointment didn't show too much. I started to walk away, already planning which songs to play today.

My thoughts were interrupted when Edward grabbed the back of my rain jacket. I jerked to a stop.

"Where do you think you're going?" his voice sounded angry. Time to run again, but he was holding me.

"I'm going home," I said, baffled.

"Didn't you hear me promise to take you home safely? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?" he still sounded angry.

"What condition?" I demanded, "And what about my truck?"

"I'll have Alice drop it off after school," he said as he began to drag me toward his car.

"Let go!" I screamed.

Déjà vu. I remembered when Bill dragged me to his room for a beating. This wasn't going to end well, I had to get away… I slipped out of my raincoat and ran to my truck as fast as I could. But Edward was faster. His cold arms were around me, restraining me. I screamed as I struggled to get away. Really, _really_ bad case of déjà vu.

"Shh, calm down," he whispered, "I'm not going to hurt you." I stopped. What did he get from my reaction? With his arms wrapped around me, my heartbeat sped up again. I was absolutely sure that he could feel it.

"I'll go," I gave up, "But at least let me get something from my truck."

"OK," he said softly, "But are you alright?"

"Just overreacted a little bit," I lied. He let go. We walked to my truck. I opened the passenger door to get my guitar case. Then we walked back to his Volvo. I got in with no complaint. I was still a bit shaken from the memories that flooded into my head.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Edward asked, staring at me with a worried expression, "Did I hurt you?"

"No…" I whispered. Edward began to drive. Then I remembered my day job. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"How fast do you drive?"

He smiled widely, "That depends what for."

"I need to go to Port Angeles before I go home," I replied.

"Is that what the guitar is for? I heard about that. Some girl would go to the same bench everyday and play for some money. Is that you?" he smiled.

"You heard?" I was surprised.

"You've created quite a reputation for yourself," he commented, "But what is the money for?" Time to lie again.

"I'm getting an early start on my college fund," I lied, "You'd be surprised at how much you can earn in a day."

"You'd only earn so much if you were good… Maybe I should stop by and listen sometime," he contemplated. I blushed at the thought. "Do you enjoy playing?"

"Yes, very much. I like music."

"Do you mind if I play one of my CDs?" Edward asked.

"Of course not," I answered. He played with the stereo until a certain song played. I recognized the piece of classical music. "Claire de Lune?"

"You know Debussy?" he asked, awed.

"Not very well. I only know my favorites."

"It's one of my favorites, too." We actually had something in common. I became a bit more relaxed.

"So… what were your parents like?" he suddenly asked. Uh oh, time to put on a poker face. What could I say? I didn't want to compliment those monsters, but I couldn't tell him the truth either.

"Well… honestly, I don't think I ever really knew them. They were busy… _Those_ types of parents," I explained, "I kind of grew up with my aunt."

"OK, then. What's your aunt like?" he changed his question.

"She's like the mother I never had. I mean, she even looks a lot like me," I began, "I took care of myself, but she was always there for me. At the same time, I was always there for her. She's bubbly, kind of reckless, an unpredictable cook… She was my best friend." I realized how much I had missed her. But I was no good for her, not while I was still like this…

"How old are you, Bella?" he asked.

"I'm seventeen," I replied.

"You don't seem seventeen," he remarked. It was strange. First, he made me smile. Now, he made me laugh. Well, chuckle was more like it, but still. "What?"

"My aunt always said that I was born twenty-five years old and that I get older every year. Maybe it's because I'm too serious all the time. But hey, someone has to be the adult," I sighed. "You don't seem much like a junior in high school yourself," I commented.

Edward grimaced. It looked as though he thought of something unpleasant. If he was making me happy, I should at least do the same. I decided to change the topic.

"My aunt is boy crazy," I shook my head indulgently, "The last man I saw her with seemed like the one for her. I'm hoping that he'll take care of her for me."

"So you approve?" he wondered. It seemed that I successfully pulled him away from his horrid thoughts.

"Does it matter? I just want her to be happy… and he is who she wants to be with."

"That's very generous… I wonder."

"What?"

"Since she is like your mother… Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? No matter who your choice was?" My heart stopped. What was he implying?

"I-I think so…" I stuttered, "But she's the adult, so it's sort of different."

He smiled wryly, "No one too scary then."

I grinned, "What do you mean by scary? Multiple facial piercings and extensive tattoos?"

"That's one definition, I suppose."

"What's your definition?"

He looked at me and smiled, "Do you think _I _could be scary?" What was I going to say to that?

"Hmm… I think you _could _be scary, if you wanted to," I replied in a serious voice.

"Are you frightened of me now?" he asked, mimicking my serious tone.

"No." I wasn't scared of him at the moment. I was only scared of him whenever his eyes changed… But I wasn't really scared of _him_, per say… It was the memory… "So, now are you going to tell me about your family? It's got to be much more interesting than mine."

"What do you want to know?" his tone was cautious.

"The Cullens adopted you?'

"Yes."

"What happened to your parents?" I asked hesitantly.

"They died a very long time ago."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"I don't really remember them that clearly," he assured, "Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a very long time now."

"And you love them," I guessed.

"Yes," he smiled, "I couldn't imagine two better people."

"You're very lucky."

"I know I am."

"And your brothers and sisters?"

He frowned, "My brother and sister, and Jasper and Rosalie for that matter, are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me."

"We're already here?" I looked out the window. Holy cow, how fast was he driving?

"How do you intend to get home?" he asked.

"I'll… get a cab," I said thoughtfully. I had forgotten about that.

"Why don't I pick you up?" he offered.

"Is that really OK?" I inquired. He nodded. "Umm… before six?"

"I'll be there," he promised.

"Do you know where the bench is?" I reassured.

"I'll just ask around," he smiled, "You don't need to worry."

"OK," I smiled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said as I got out of the car.

"Bye, Edward," I waved goodbye as I watched his car leave. What in the world was I thinking, letting Edward pick me up?

Utterly absurd.


	12. Legend

Chapter 12: Legend

**Chapter 12: Legend**

I looked at my watch. It was almost six o'clock. Edward wasn't here yet… Oh well, one last song then. I chose a song that Aunt Cathy and I had made together. One day when I was staying over at her house, she came home complaining about how life was unfair. That inspired me to write this song: _Ironic _(actually by Alanis Morissette).

_An old man turned ninety-eight_

_He won the lottery, and died the next day_

_It's a black fly in your Chardonnay_

_It's a death row pardon, two minutes too late_

_And isn't ironic, don't you think?_

_It's like rain on your wedding day_

_It's a free ride when you've already paid_

_It's a good advice that you just didn't take_

_And who would've thought it figures…_

_Mr. Play-It-Safe was afraid to fly_

_He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye_

_He waited his whole damned life to take that flight_

_And when the plane crashed down he thought, "Well isn't this nice?"_

_And isn't ironic, don't you think?_

_It's like rain on your wedding day_

_It's a free ride when you've already paid_

_It's a good advice that you just didn't take_

_And who would've thought it figures…_

_Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you think everything's okay_

_And everything's going right…_

_Yeah, well life has a funny was of helping you out when you think everything's gone wrong_

_And everything blows up in your face…_

_A traffic jam when you're already late_

_A no smoking sign on your cigarette break_

_It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife_

_It's like meeting the man of my dreams and then meeting his beautiful wife_

_And isn't it ironic, don't you think?_

_A little too ironic, yeah, I really do think…_

_It's like rain on your wedding day_

_It's a free ride when you've already paid_

_It's a good advice that you just didn't take_

_And who would've thought it figures…_

_Life has a funny of sneaking up on you…_

_And life has a funny, funny way…_

_Of helping you out…_

_Helping you out…_

Once I played the last chord, the very few people who crowded around me started clapping. I was happy that they were entertained. I liked small audiences: the smaller the better. Even though I was earning relatively little, I had problems with being around people now.

"Thank you," I said as each of them added something to my guitar case. I collected the money and put it into my wallet. When I packed up and was ready to go, I heard someone clapping.

"That was great," a familiar voice said. I knew who it was. I didn't even need to turn around, but I did.

"Edward," I smiled, "Did you like it?"

"Very much," he smiled back, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. Thanks again, so much," I walked to him.

"It's no trouble, really," he assured. We walked back to his silver Volvo. I put my guitar case in the back seat and he began to drive.

"Really, thank you," I said for the nth time, "I don't know how to repay you."

"Hearing you play was enough," he said, "But let me ask you something."

"Yes?" I asked.

"Why don't you try a different location?" he suggested.

"Different location?" I asked, stalling. I knew what he meant, and I was scrambling for an excuse.

"With someone as good as you," he explained, "You could earn ten times as much at a park." Excuse, excuse… think of an excuse.

"Well," I began, "People on a busy sidewalk are more… And I just wanted to, well… People in a park…" I gave myself away with my incoherency.

"Nerves?" he guessed.

"Yes," I sighed, giving up, "After… I just have some problems being around people nowadays and…"

"You have nothing to worry about," he encouraged, "You are extremely good. I'm sure that you'll earn enough for your college fund in no time."

"Yeah," I agreed. I suddenly felt bad about lying to him. Why were my feelings towards him evolving at such a fast rate? I was starting to lose patience with myself.

"Something wrong?" he noticed my hesitation.

"No!" I answered quickly, "Gosh, you're a lot smarter than a shrink is… I can't help but be as honest as possible around you…"

"Bella, it's the same for me," he said as if it were an obvious fact. "You've seen a therapist?" he seemed amused.

"Severe depression, remember? But it wasn't working, so I told my aunt to quit it."

"Somehow I'm not surprised," he smiled wryly.

"Are you saying I'm insane?" I glared.

"In a nutshell… yes," he teased.

"Oh, that hurts, you know," I tried to sound as hurt as possible, "And what about you?"

"What about me?" he asked.

"You're a bit of a weirdo yourself," I pointed out.

"Takes one to know one," he murmured in a playful tone.

"Hey, I heard that," I threatened.

"Good," he smiled. I laughed, and he joined in. He really _was_ bringing me back to life.

"If you need anything," I said, becoming serious, "Anything at all-"

"Bella, you don't owe my anything," he said.

"Yes, I do," I argued, "I'm eternally grateful to you."

"Why?"

"Let's see," I began, "You saved my life, you helped me skip Gym, and you're bringing me home…" I hesitated on the last one, "And you're helping me live again."

"Would you care to explain the last one?"

"You make me smile, and you make me laugh," I couldn't help being serious, "I couldn't really do that on my own."

Suddenly the car stopped. I realized that we were already in front of Uncle Charlie's house. Gosh, he must have been driving _way_ past the speed limit!

"We're here," he announced.

"Oh, well, I guess I should go now," I hoped that my disappointment didn't show too much in my voice.

"And I should probably leave before Chief Swan gets home, so you won't have to tell him about the Biology incident."

"He's probably already heard," I sighed, "There are no secrets in Forks."

"Well, have fun at the beach. Good weather for sunbathing," he smiled.

"Actually, I won't be going to the beach," I informed, "Uncle Charlie and I will be visiting some old friends of his down at La Push."

"Oh… well, have fun anyway," he said.

"Won't I see you tomorrow?" the worry in my tone was clearly visible.

"No. Emmett and I are starting the weekend early," he replied, much to my dismay.

"What are you going to do?" I was curious.

"We're going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier."

"Oh, well, have fun," I said halfheartedly, looking down. I was doing as much as I could to stay a little longer.

"Will you do something for me this weekend?" Edward asked, suddenly serious, "Don't be offended… but you seem to be one of those people who attract accidents like a magnet. So… try not to fall down the stairs or get run over or anything, all right?"

I laughed, "I'll see what I can do." I got out of the car, holding my guitar case. I ran to the porch and watched as he drove away.

* * *

"Welcome, Charlie," a man sitting on a wheelchair opened the door. He looked at me, "Who is this?"

"Billy, this is my niece, Bella," Uncle Charlie introduced.

"Hello," I greeted nervously.

"Come in," Billy said, leading us into his house.

"So, where's Jacob?" Uncle Charlie asked.

"Oh, he's in the garage out back," Billy answered.

"Bella, why don't you go hang out with him? I'll call you when it's time for dinner," Uncle Charlie suggested.

"Okay…" I replied hesitantly. I was going to meet a complete stranger all by myself. I walked as carefully as I could to the back. There were many obstacles in my way. I stopped once to adjust my jacket. I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants, it was sunny, and so it was extremely hot.

I got to the garage to find a lanky, fifteen-year-old boy working on a car. His skin was dark russet and he had black hair tied into a long ponytail. He hadn't noticed that I came. Then, he suddenly turned around. I jumped.

"H-hello?" I greeted anxiously.

"Hi," he said simply, looking a bit confused. Then there was an awkward silence as we stared at each other.

"Umm… My name is Bella. I'm Charlie's niece," I introduced.

"Oh," he smiled, "That explains it. My dad said you were coming over. I'm Jacob, nice to meet you." He seemed very friendly, but I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. "So, you just moved in, right?"

"About two months ago," I replied tensely.

"Relax, I'm not gonna' bite," he joked, walking closer to me.

"I know…" I looked down, embarrassed. Well, how else was I supposed to react? I looked at the car he was working on, recognizing the symbol on the grille, at least. "Umm… so, what kind Volkswagen is that?"

"It's an old Rabbit -1986, a classic."

"How's it going?"

"Don't have all the parts yet. Saving up for them."

"Okay…"

"Geez, Bella, lighten up a little. It's like somebody died or something," he commented.

"I'm sorry," I said, slightly offended, "I'm not that good around people."

"Yeah, Charlie warned us about that," he informed.

"He did?" I asked.

"Yeah, he said, 'be a little careful around her, she's kind of sensitive,'" he tried to mimic his deep voice. "Well, I'll make sure you stop being depressed," he smiled determinedly.

"Jacob, that's really nice of you, but you really don't have to…" I frowned. Why did Uncle Charlie have to be so worried about me? Bringing his friends into this…

"I want to," he told me, "It's no fun to hang around someone so depressed."

"Well, I'll try not to, then," I looked down, "So… what do you want to do?"

"You're not very good at trying to be happy," he crossed his arms.

"I'm trying," I groaned.

"Want to go to the beach?" he offered.

"Sure," I gave up. I didn't know what was wrong with me. For some reason, I couldn't… I just couldn't…

"C'mon, then," my mood didn't seem to damper his high spirits.

We walked down the beach, our feet sinking into the smooth sand. I knew that it was smooth because I had tripped onto it. Jacob laughed at me for it.

"Do you like stories?" Jacob suddenly asked me, "Well, legends, really."

"Umm… yeah, sure," I did the best I could to sound interested. It's not that I _wasn't_ interested; I just knew that I wouldn't _sound_ like it.

Jacob paused ominously, to add to the effect. I rolled my eyes at him, knowing he wouldn't see.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from –the Quileutes, I mean?" he asked.

"Not really," I admitted.

"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood –supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountains to survive, like Noah and the ark." He smiled, showing me how little stock he put in histories. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves –and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them."

I stared, waiting. The story caught my interest.

"Then there are the stories about the cold ones." His voice dropped a little lower.

"The cold ones?"

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." Jacob rolled his eyes.

"Your great-grandfather?"

"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf –well, not the wolf really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?"

"Only one."

"The cold ones?" I guessed.

"You would call them vampires."

"Vampires?" I asked, my voice skeptical.

"So, do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" Jacob said, "Although, my dad believes all of it."

"Do you?" I asked.

"Well… I have this theory…," he thought aloud.

"So you _do _believe," I teased.

"Anyway," he ignored that comment, "You see, the Cullens don't come here, right?"

"They don't? And, how did the Cullens get into this conversation?" I stared at him, confused.

"Well, my great-grandfather made the treaty to keep the cold ones out of our lands," he explained, "Don't you think it's a bit more than a coincidence that the Cullens don't come here?"

"You think the Cullens are _vampires_?" I asked. Well, at least I wasn't the only one who thought about it.

"They are a bit weird, from what I've heard," Jacob argued.

"I know them," I informed him, "Well… not _all_ of them…"

"BELLA! JACOB!" I heard Uncle Charlie call. I guess both Jacob and I hadn't realized how dark the sky had gotten. We ran back to his house.

I felt my head throb. Was I really accepting the _possibility_ that… OK, it wasn't exactly a possibility anymore. Was I insinuating that… _Oh, just say it Bella! _

Was Edward a vampire? Were the Cullens vampires? Considering everything: following all the clues, putting the pieces together, I knew the answer.

Yes.


	13. Conflict

Chapter 13: Conflict

**Chapter 13: Conflict**

Now my life was rendered… lifeless. You couldn't exactly call it a life anymore. The series was empty of all colors, and no longer was it black and white. It was just plain white. My life was paralyzed in fear. Time continued, as I remained still and unmoving.

But hey, how would you react if you found out that one of your friends was a vampire?

I was no longer sure if I missed Edward, or was relieved that he was gone. Part of him, after all, found the scent of my blood irresistible. And therefore, the war between heart and mind… No, the conflict between self-preservation and love…

Love… I flinched at the word. How could I even begin to comprehend the workings of my heart? Falling in love with a vampire? A frightening, impossible thought. It wouldn't –_couldn't_ work. We couldn't be together if, all the while, Edward was resisting the urge to kill me and have my blood. I couldn't begin to imagine how difficult it must be for him.

And yet, it seemed –or I hoped –that he wanted to be around me. Part of me was thrilled at the possibility, but the rest of me was horrified –wishing with every fiber in my body that he would just stay away.

Did I want him around, or not? No, wrong question. _Should_ I want him to stay? The answer was simple: No.

The four darkest years of my life were taking its toll on me. All those years of being forced into submission made me fickle, indecisive.

And so, once again, my heart was sent back into its sleeping state. Self-preservation won the war. The shell began to coagulate, and this time, I wasn't sure what could ever break it again. If it were Edward, his mallet wouldn't work this time. He would need a hundred bulldozers. And to think, I had finished a song for him.

Yes, those three words on top of the page no longer taunted me. They were no longer alone as three words. They were now a title. _Inside Your Heaven _was finally a song. I grabbed my guitar and played it for the first time.

_I've been down, now I'm blessed_

_I felt a revelation coming 'round_

_Guess it's right, it's so amazing_

_Every time I see you, I'm alive_

_You're all I've got_

_You lift me up_

_The sun and the moonlight_

_All my dreams are in your eyes_

_And I wanna' be inside your heaven, take me to the place you cry from_

_Where the storm blows your way _

_And I wanna' be the earth that holds you_

_Every bit of air you're breathin' in, a soothin' wind_

_I wanna' be inside your heaven_

_When we touch, when we love_

_The stars light up, the wrong becomes undone_

_Naturally, my soul surrenders_

_The sun and the moonlight_

_All my dreams are in your eyes  
_

_And I wanna' be inside your heaven, take me to the place you cry from_

_Where the storm blows your way _

_And I wanna' be the earth that holds you_

_Every bit of air you're breathin' in, a soothin' wind_

_I wanna' be inside your heaven_

_When minutes turn to days and years_

_If mountains fall, I'll still be here_

_Holding you until the day I die… _

_And I wanna' be inside your heaven, take me to the place you cry from_

_Where the storm blows your way…_

_Wanna' be inside…_

_Where the storm blows your way…_

_And I wanna' be inside your heaven, take me to the place you cry from_

_Where the storm blows your way _

_I wanna' be the earth that holds you_

_Every bit of air you're breathin' in, a soothin' wind_

_I wanna' be inside your heaven…_

The wind outside was a gentle breeze, caressing my skin. The grass beneath me writhed in defeat as they could do nothing but helplessly bow down to the blustery weather. The sun above me shone mercilessly, flaunting its warmth –one that was insurmountable. The cloudless blue sky intensified the heat. The clothing that I wore to conceal my secrets were now a burden. I was nearly tempted to take off my sweater, revealing the scars on my arms and the cuts swirling around my wrist.

I laid my guitar beside me, upon the soft green bed of grass that covered all traces of brown. I lay down on the mat that I had placed.

Was I giving up on living again? No, not exactly. I wasn't giving up, but I had no desire to live. I would play the game, but act as more of a spectator for the other players. I would do nothing.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of Uncle Charlie's police cruiser. The back of his tires had hit the garage wall. I sat up,

"Uncle Charlie?" I was confused by the sudden darkness. I must have fallen asleep, I concluded. I got up, picked up my guitar, and ran back into the house.

"Hey, Bells," he greeted.

"Hey," I said unenthusiastically, "Sorry, dinner isn't ready yet. I fell asleep outside."

"It's OK," he smiled, "Why don't we order pizza tonight? You should take a break from all the cooking anyway."

"Thanks," I tried to smile, but the corners of my mouth merely twitched upward for a second. "I'll pay," I offered.

"Would I have to pay you back?" he joked.

"No," I said, getting the phone, "I've got more than enough to pay for it."

"By the way, how's the college fund coming along?" he asked.

"Great," I tried to sound enthusiastic, knowing that I wouldn't convince him, "I'm earning tons more since I moved to the park. It was all Ed-" I stopped myself.

"All what?"

"Nothing…" I dialed the number, waiting.

I ordered the pizza. In half an hour, it arrived. As promised, I paid for it. Then Uncle Charlie tried to get me to eat more than I usually did.

"Bella, it's unhealthy to be so thin," he remarked.

"Since when has pizza ever been healthy?" I countered.

"But you barely eat anything."

"That's because I get full."

"Two slices of pizza and you say you're already stuffed," he pointed out. Then the phone rang.

"I'll get it," I excused myself from the table. I picked up the phone, "Hello?"

"Hey, Bella. It's Jessica."

"Hey, Jess. What's up?"

"Just reminding you of our plans tomorrow. You're still going, right?"

"Of course," I said. I remembered Jessica asking me to go to Port Angeles with her to help pick dresses for the spring dance. Angela was going, too. "So, anything else?" I guessed. There must've been an underlying reason for her calling me.

"Mike asked me out!" she squealed.

"Oh, that's great!" I tried to sound happy for her. I remembered when Mike had originally planned to ask me out that day.

"_Maybe we could go out to dinner…"_

"_Mike, I'm not sure that's the best idea…" _

"_Why not?"_

"_I think –and if you repeat this to anyone I will cheerfully beat you to death –that it would hurt Jessica's feelings."_

"_Jessica?"_

"_Really Mike, are you that _blind_? Anyway, I have to get to class."_

So he finally realized it, huh? Good for him. I was glad that Jessica was happy.

"We're going tonight. He'll be here any minute."

"Well, good luck. I hope you have fun."

"Thanks, Bella. Bye!"

"Bye." Then she hung up. I returned the phone to the receiver and went back to the table.

"I think I'll eat a bit more," I decided to try and placate Uncle Charlie. He was only worried about my well-being.

"That's good," he seemed relieved.

* * *

I wore a blue long-sleeved shirt and jeans. I tried fixing my hair, but it was being utterly impossible, so I tied it into a ponytail.

Jessica and Angela picked me up from my house. Together, they led me on a journey across the line of shops along the sidewalk, in the town of Port Angeles. I paid very little attention to anything that was happening. Every so often, they would ask my opinion, and I would answer truthfully, but that was it.

Why was I so sad? The depression came back, but why? Even my nightmares were returning, and they certainly were not welcome. Was it just because of Edward?

Yes. It was because I realized that we could never be together. I was hopelessly in love with him, after all. Therefore, I guessed that it would be very depressing.

"Hey, guys?" I called.

"Yes, Bella?" Angela replied.

"I'll meet you at the restaurant later, okay?" I said, "I'm going to walk around for a little bit."

"OK," Angela smiled. And I was off.

I walked aimlessly through the streets of Port Angeles. I had some general knowledge of the place, since I had roamed around looking for a place to play my songs. But I allowed myself to wander, and then I got lost.

"_Idiot!" _I yelled at myself, followed by a string of profanities. Jessica and Angela would be worrying about me. I needed to get back somehow.

I came across a group of four men. I was about to ask them for directions, but I decided against it. They didn't look very… safe. I found myself shaking. Déjà vu.

"Hey there, gorgeous," one of the men looked at me with malicious eyes.

"Stay away from me," I warned, my voice shaky.

"Don't be like that, sugar," the man stepped closer. I flinched. Really, _really_ bad case of déjà vu. I began to walk away from them, as fast as I could, and I heard them laughing.

I continued walking, not able to shake the feeling of being followed. Did I have to wander to the isolated part of the city? The string of profanities was being echoed in my mind.

I then heard some car horns, around the corner. I knew then that I would be out of harm's way as soon I was in sight of witnesses. I ran, too anxious to get to safety.

But then, as I passed the bend, I saw two of the men whom I encountered earlier. I found it a bit strange, though. Way behind them was civilization, but where were the two other men? I had a horrible feeling in my gut. I turned around, the two men not too far away from me.

They were herding me, and now I was trapped. It took everything I had not to fall apart by the seams. The memory was so clear as if it were yesterday. I _had_ to get away, but I couldn't think clearly while I was trembling.

They came closer to me, and I felt even more trapped. I thought of a strategy, but wasn't sure if it was going to work. It was risky, but what else could I do?

"All right," I said loud enough for them to hear, "If you want me, then come and get me. But I swear, you'll regret it." I stopped quivering. No, I wasn't giving up without a fight. I wasn't going to let it end this way.

One of the men walked in front of me, and he seemed to be the leader. We stared each other down. I wasn't going to fold. I had to think about Uncle Charlie, after all. Not to mention what it would do to Aunt Cathy if I died right here and now.

"Go get her, Lonnie!" one of the men from behind shouted, and it was obvious that he was drunk.

The man in front of me turned around, and I took advantage of the distraction. I kicked him squarely in the crotch with all my strength. He screamed in pain and knelt down in front of me. Time to run.

Just then, some headlights shined in our direction. I turned to see a car headed toward us. The man named Lonnie got up and leapt out of the way as the car spun around in the direction it came from. This was unexpected, but I had to work with it. I ran to the car. The passenger door flew open and someone shouted,

"Get in!"

I immediately got in, slamming the door shut, and the driver floored it. I looked at him, and immediately knew who it was: Edward.

"Put on your seatbelt," he ordered. I obeyed. From almost getting kidnapped to being alone in the car with a vampire, I was scared out of my sanity. I was rendered speechless by absolute fear. I didn't know what was scarier: dealing with those men, or sitting where I was right now.

"A-are you okay?" I asked. I couldn't control the high-strung tone of my voice.

"No," he replied after a while. His eyes tightened.

He parked in an unused drive, near some trees. He remained still, and I was absolutely frightened. The memories were flooding back into my mind. They were so vivid that I could almost see nothing else.

"Bella?" I jumped when he suddenly asked.

I cleared my throat, "Y-yes?"

"Are you all right?" Hell no! I was shaking in my seat, trying to keep myself from bursting into tears. And I wasn't doing a very good job of it.

I felt a few tears escape my eyes, "I… I…" I broke out into a sob, and I couldn't control myself. My face fell into my hands.

"Distract me, please," he suddenly pleaded, closing his eyes, "Prattle on about something unimportant until I calm down."

I looked up at him. How in the world was I going to do that? Let me think… Boys like… violence? Well, Edward didn't really seem like the type, but it was the only thing I could think of. Then I remembered something at school that I didn't bother about before. Now that I thought about it, it really did bother me. _A lot_.

"I'm going to run over Tyler Crowley tomorrow," the threat didn't sound right. Not while my voice was shaking. It sounded more like I felt remorse for doing something. I tried solidifying my voice, and it worked, "And then I'm going to beat him to a bloody pulp and bury him out in the woods."

"Why?" he barked out.

"He's telling everyone that he's taking me to prom," remembering the gossip was not a very pleasant memory. I became angry, and the anger overtook my fear. "Either he's insane or he's trying to make up for almost killing me. In any case, I already have enough problems without Lauren glaring knives at me." Then I got into it, actually meaning what I was saying.

"Maybe I'll destroy his car. I'll rent a bat and take a slugger to both headlights. Then I'll get some rocks and throw them at his car windows. Then I'll get something sharp and puncture holes in all _four_ tires." I realized how angry I was at him.

"I heard about that," he informed me.

"_You_ did?" It was strange. It was as if all I could see was red now, "Well… beating him to a bloody pulp doesn't seem quite fitting, then. I'll tie him to a chair and then make cuts all over his body, then I'll pour vinegar over the fresh cuts…" I stopped. I remembered when I experienced that… I shivered at the memory. That particular torture caused the scars.

Edward sighed and opened his eyes.

"Better?" I asked, fear returning to my body.

"Not really," he answered.

"I could continue with the death threats if you want. I don't mind," I said, my voice becoming shaky again. I didn't want him to be upset. His eyes became black when he was upset, and I couldn't handle seeing that again. "What's wrong?" I whispered.

"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bella," he stared out into the sky, "But it _wouldn't _be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those…" He took a deep breath, "At least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself."

"Oh," was all I could say. I couldn't even begin to describe how I was feeling at that moment. Frightened, terrified, scared, afraid, fearful, petrified, shocked, alarmed, startled, worry, upset, panicky… If anyone could create a word that meant all those words put together, I would be using it right now.

Edward restarted the car and headed back towards town. And soon, we stopped. I didn't know where we were, I was still looking down.

Edward suddenly opened his door, and I jumped.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked, startled.

"I'm taking you to dinner." I froze. Was I going to die then and there? _"Don't scream, don't scream, don't scream, don't scream, don't scream,"_ I chanted to myself. Maybe he would get it over with as soon as possible. Then the door beside me opened.

"AHHH!" I jumped, cringing away from the door. I turned to see Edward holding out his hand. I looked behind him to see the restaurant that I was planning to meet Jessica and Angela in. I knew I should be asking him how he knew, but I didn't think it important.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Edward said, offering his hand. I unbuckled my seatbelt and held his hand. He hoisted me up with not much difficulty, setting me on my feet. "Go stop Jessica and Angela before I have to track them down, too," he ordered, "I don't think I could restrain myself if I ran into your other friends again." I turned to see Jessica and Angela about to walk past the corner.

I took half a step forward and called as loudly as possible, "Jess! Angela!" My voice sounded wrong again. It was more like I was calling for help. They turned around, and I raised my hand, waving it in the air to catch their attention.

They ran back to me then stopped. I guess they were surprised to see Edward standing right behind me.

"Where have you been?" Jessica demanded. I took a step back, still a little shaken.

"I-I got lost. And I ran into Edward…" I looked down. I definitely did not want to relive the account. I was already using every bit of strength I had left to stop myself from falling apart.

"Would it be all right if I joined you?" Edward suddenly asked. My eyes widened at the sound of his voice, startled. It seemed like anything would startle me right now.

"Er… sure," Jessica agreed.

"Um, actually, Bella, we already ate while we were waiting," Angela frowned, "Sorry."

"That's fine –I'm not hungry," I felt like if I put something in my stomach right now, I would vomit.

"I think you should eat something," Edward disagreed, talking to me now. I was startled again. I wasn't used to answering to voices from behind. I was startled when Edward spoke again, "Do you mind if I drive Bella home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats."

Was this a good sign? Sure, it showed that he was interested, but in which way? In the sense that he returned my feelings or that he wanted me for supper? If my heart could pop out of my chest, it would.

"Uh, no problem, I guess…" I felt Jessica's eyes on me as she said this. I took another step back, bumping into Edward.

"Oh, sorry," my voice sounded unusually small. I looked at him once, then forced my eyes back to the concrete.

"Okay," Angela said quickly, breaking the silence too abruptly. I flinched. "See you tomorrow, Bella… Edward." And as far as I knew, she and Jessica left. I wouldn't know because I was looking down.

I _was_ going into shock. I guess I wasn't as brave as I thought I was. I took a deep breath and faced Edward, trying not to startle myself… or scream… or cry… or any combination of the 3.

"Honestly, I'm not hungry," I said. Again, my voice sounded unusually small. I was wondering if Edward had heard it or not.

"Humor me," he said. I guess he _did_ hear me. Well, what was I supposed to expect from a vampire?

His hand was on my back, gently ushering me to the restaurant. He held the door open for me, and I went in without hesitation. I was being submissive tonight, and I couldn't help myself. The memories that I had been trying so hard to keep away were still lingering in my head, and they refused to get out.

I was still looking down when Edward and I walked to the podium where the hostess was.

"A table for two?" Edward's voice almost made me jump. This was getting very irritating.

"Oh, er, yes. Welcome to La Bella Italia. Please follow me," the hostess replied.

It was dizzying to keep looking down at the floor. I sighed as I changed my view, looking directly in front of me. The restaurant was very classy.

I was about to sit down when Edward shook his head. I wondered why. He pulled a bill from his back pocket,

"Perhaps something more private?" My eyes widened. Again came the conflict between self-preservation and love. But did I really have a choice with so many people around?

"Sure," the hostess said. I looked up at her, and she was actually very pretty. I wondered why Edward didn't show any preference or anything…

The hostess led us around a dividing wall and offered us a booth in a quiet corner of a restaurant… Where no one could hear, and no one could see… I expanded more energy to keep as quiet as possible, and it seemed more difficult with every passing second.

"How's this?" the hostess asked.

"Perfect," Edward told her. I grew extremely nervous now.

"Um… your server will be right out," the hostess said before leaving us. _"Wait, come back!" _I would've said, but I was still suffering from shock. I hated feeling like this. Weak, defenseless…

Edward pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down. Then he went to his seat, directly across. I guessed it was a safe distance. I slumped in my seat, looking down at the table, and I felt his eyes on me.

The silence was maddening.

"You really shouldn't do that to people," I said softly, "It's hardly fair." My voice wasn't as small as it was earlier, but it wasn't back to normal yet.

"Do what?" he asked innocently. I decided that looking at him wouldn't hurt. I faced him, finally,

"Dazzle them like that… She's probably hyperventilating in the kitchen…" He didn't answer, and I wanted to fill the silence, even if I had to talk to myself the whole night. "Oh, come on," I chided, "You _have_ to know the effect you have on people."

"I dazzle people?"

"You haven't noticed?" I didn't care what subject we were talking about, as long as we were talking. "Do you think everybody gets their way so easily?"

"Do I dazzle _you_?" he asked. How was I going to answer this? Lie again, or be honest?

"Sometimes…" I blushed. I think I wasn't in shock anymore.

"Hello," I nearly jumped when the waitress suddenly came. I guess I was still in shock after all. "What would you like?" she was focusing all her attention on Edward, which was fine by me. But Edward was staring at me. Then the waitress looked at me, too.

Speechless, again.

"Two cokes," Edward spoke for me. I wasn't thirsty, nor was I hungry. The waitress left, and Edward was still staring at me. Again, the silence was disturbing.

"What is it?" I asked, bothered by the staring. Both thrilled and frightened, I had mixed emotions in me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"F-fine…" I lied.

"You don't _look_ fine. You look pale," he commented.

"Well why don't _you_ try and get yourself nearly attacked? See how_ you_ react," I raised my voice. Ah, my voice was finally back. But then I realized what I had done. I looked at him apologetically, but his expression seemed… amused. "Sorry…" I whispered.

"It's alright," he half-smiled, "I was actually waiting for you to go into shock."

"I think it's wearing off…" I lied again. I realized then that lying would not be effective if you were in shock… _Deep_ in shock…

"Just the same," he told me, "I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you." Did he mean that it would be better for _him_ if I had some food in me? Would I _taste_ better? I stiffened at the thought. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" I shook my head weakly.

The hostess came back with the cokes and a basket of bread. Edward told her to attend to me, and so,

"What would you like?"

Well, if I was going to die, I might as well have a last meal. I glanced at the menu, "I'll have the mushroom ravioli, please." Again, my voice sounded all wrong.

"And you?" the waitress turned back to Edward.

"Nothing for me," Edward replied. Maybe he was saving his appetite. Well, I was already resigned to die, so why was I feeling sick? … Shock, again.

"Drink," he insisted when the waitress was gone. I did so, realizing that I really _was_ thirsty. I finished the whole glass, and then Edward pushed his glass to me. I drank a little of it, then shuddered.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"It's just the coke," I said, but continued shivering. I really _was _cold, but I didn't want him to have to worry about that.

"Don't you have a jacket?"

"Yes, but I didn't think I'd need it…" How pathetic of me. I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and I was still shivering. He must think of me as a frail, weak, unimportant human being.

Unexpectedly, he pulled of his jacket and handed it to me. That thwarted, and proved my guess, in a way. I blushed at the gesture, either way. I took it and put it on. Strangely, I still shuddered.

"Thank you," I said, not trying to smile anymore. I knew it was futile, anyway. I pushed the too-long sleeves to free my hands. I didn't mind the silence anymore, and I was sure that I wasn't in shock anymore, either.

"That color blue looks lovely on your skin," he complimented suddenly. I couldn't help but blush. Maybe vampires… liked… to… play… with their food? Although, I hardly see how dazzling their prey helps at all… Then he pushed the basket of bread towards me.

"Really," I objected, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked. I nodded. "This is more complicated than I'd planned," he murmured. I thoughtlessly took a breadstick and began eating it.

"Usually you're in a better mood when you're eyes are so light…" I said thoughtlessly. I was going to die anyway, so might as well let everything out of the closet.

"What?"

"You're always… crabbier, when you're eyes are black –I expect it then. I have a theory about that…" Then I looked to see that his eyes weren't black. No, they were light. That seemed a little off…

"More theories?"

"Mm-hmm," I took another bite from the breadstick.

"I hope you were more creative this time. Or are you stealing from comic books again?"

"For your information, Edward, the last time I didn't steal from a comic book… Well, not exactly."

"Explain," he demanded.

"I told you that that was the only theory I had, right?" I was surprised at how casual I was being about this. I guess the thoughts of death really changes a person, "Well, I lied. I had one more theory. And recently, I backed up that theory with evidence."

"And?" he seemed anxious. The waitress came back with my food. She asked Edward if he wanted anything, and he just asked for coke. When she left, "You were saying?"

"I'll tell you about it in the car," I said in a low voice, "If…"

"There are conditions?"

"I do have a few questions, of course."

"Of course," he agreed, his voice hard.

"Relax, Edward. You'll get what _you_ want in the end anyway, so I should get _something_ in return."

"What do you mean?" he seemed confused.

"You know what I mean," I accused.

"Well, go on then," he urged, jaw locked.

"Why are you in Port Angeles?" I asked.

"Next," he dismissed the question.

"But that's the easiest one!" I complained.

"Next," he said again, ignoring me. Stupid, unreliable vampire. I stuffed a mushroom in my mouth and washed it down with Coke.

"Okay then," I continued, "Let's say, hypothetically, of course, that… someone… could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know –with just a few exceptions."

"Just _one_ exception," he corrected, "Hypothetically." I was glad that he was playing along.

"All right, with one exception, then. How does that work? What are the limitations? How would… that someone… find someone else at exactly the right time? How would he know that she was in trouble?"

"Hypothetically?"

"Sure."

"Well," he hesitated, "If… that someone…"

"Let's call him 'Joe,'" I suggested. Edward smiled. I felt like smiling, but knew that it wasn't going to happen.

"Joe, then," he agreed, "If Joe had been paying attention, the timing wouldn't have needed to be so exact. Only you could get into trouble in a town this small. You would have devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know."

"We were speaking of a hypothetical case," I frowned. As if I wasn't frowning already…

"Yes, we were. Shall we call you 'Jane?'"

I leaned across the table, keeping my voice low, "How did you know? You can trust me."

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore," he murmured, "I was wrong –you're mush more observant than I gave you credit for."

"I thought you were always right," I teased.

"I used to be. I was wrong about you on one other thing as well. You're not a magnet for accidents –that's not a broad enough classification. You're a magnet for _trouble_. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you."

I frowned again, "And you put yourself into that category?" Of course he was in that category! He was a _vampire_!

"Unequivocally." _"Duh, Bella!"_ I echoed his sentiment.

I suddenly felt an unusual urge to… touch him. Since I was going to die, I might as well get a chance at the experience. I reached across the table slowly, hoping he wouldn't mind. He moved his hands an inch away, but I ignored that. I brushed my fingertips lightly on the back of his hand.

"Thank you," I said, our eyes met. The corners of my mouth twitched upward for a moment, and I knew he would see it, "That's twice now." My fingers lingered on his hand. I didn't really mind the cold. It was somehow… relaxing.

"Let's not try for three, agreed?" he said casually. I nodded. He pulled his hands from underneath mine and hid them under the table.

In the moment where our eyes met, I could swear that all the fear melted. I could have sworn that nothing was left but trust. But I knew better. I wasn't ready to trust people yet. No, not yet.

"I followed you to Port Angeles," he suddenly said. I flinched. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed. But that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes."

"Did you ever think that maybe my number was up that first time, with the van, and you've been interfering with fate?" I pondered.

"That wasn't the first time," he said, looking down at the table, "Your number was up the first time I met you. You remember?"

"Yes…"

"And yet here you sit."

"Yes, here I sit… because of you. Because somehow you knew how to find me today…?"

"You eat, I'll talk." I had forgotten about my food. I stuffed another mushroom in my mouth, anxious for his answer. "It's harder than it should be –keeping track of you," he told me, "Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before."

I felt my eyes widened. So that was what he meant when he told Carlisle that he couldn't hear me. I put another mushroom in my mouth, waiting for him to continue.

"I was keeping tabs on Jessica," he went on, "Not carefully –like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angeles –and at first, I didn't notice when you took off on your own. Then, when I realized you weren't with her anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell that you hadn't gone in, and that you'd gone south… and I knew you would have to turn around soon. So I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street –to see if anyone noticed you so I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried… but I was strangely anxious…"

This seemed off. Would he really go through that much trouble just to get his dinner? Was my blood really that irresistible to him? It didn't seem likely.

"I started driving in circles, still… listening. The sun was finally setting, and I was about to get out, and follow you on foot. And then-" His jaw clenched tight, and I was afraid of what he might've been thinking of.

"Then what?" I asked.

"I heard what they were thinking. I saw your face in their minds," he said through his teeth. He covered his face with his hands. "It was very… hard –you can't imagine how hard –for me to simply take you away, and leave them… alive," he whispered, "I could have let you go with Jessica and Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them."

I was sitting at a table with someone who was more than capable of murder and getting away with it. And I had to admit, I _was_ scared. I was wondering why I wasn't running away screaming yet.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked suddenly.

This also seemed off. If he _were_ intending to have my blood, he wouldn't have asked that. Maybe he was trying to take me by surprise. No, I wasn't going to allow that.

"I'm ready to go," I chose my words carefully. I would give him what he wanted with no trouble. I should have died a long time ago, and he would just right that.

Just then, the waitress returned.

"How are we doing?" she turned her attention to Edward, which, again, was fine by me.

"We're ready for the check, thank you," he told her. But his eyes were on me. Maybe he was excited. Maybe he was taking a final glance before he would do away with me.

"Sure," she stuttered, "Here you go." She handed Edward the folder with the bill. He gave the folder back at once, after slipping in the money.

"No change," he told her, standing up. I only then noticed that the waitress was also very pretty… Why wasn't he showing any interest?

I thought of new possibilities. My head was overflowed with them. It was only my nature: to analyze a situation in every aspect. I was lost in my thoughts.

Edward offered me his hand again, and I took it. We walked out, and I noticed that we were standing unusually close. So close that I could feel the cold temperature coming off his skin. He held the door open for me again, and I allowed it.

I was going to remember this as my last night. I didn't mind, though. Because tonight was… nice. Even if majority of the time I was in shock, it was nice.

But then Edward opened my door for me. I stopped, cocking my head to the side. Oh, maybe he would take me to a more isolated area. I shook my head and just got in, closing the door behind me.

Edward got in and began to drive, turning on the heater. I snuggled into his jacket, only noticing now that it had a scent. It smelled like… cologne… except, it was a million times better than cologne.

I closed my eyes, waiting for when he would stop the car and lead me out. When he would put his lips to the hollow base of my neck and then sink his teeth in. Just like the time with the van, I just waited.

"Now," he suddenly said. But the car hadn't stopped yet. "It's your turn."

"Huh?" I asked.

"Your theory."

"Oh, right." I wondered why I was so cool with it. "Can I ask just one more?"

"One," he sighed.

"Well… You said you knew I hadn't gone in the bookstore, and that I had gone south. I was just wondering how you knew that." He glared at the windshield. "I thought we were past all the evasiveness," I said, disappointed.

"Fine then," he said, "I followed your scent." That made a lot of sense. Well, since I was going to give him what he wanted, I might as well get as much as I could in return.

"And then you didn't answer one of my first questions…" I pointed out.

He frowned, "Which one?"

"How does it work –the mind reading thing?" I reminded, "Can you read anybody's mind, anywhere? How do you do it? Can the rest of your family…?" I realized that I was asking more than one question. That was pushing my luck. I looked down, blushing.

"That's more than one," he said. I looked at him, waiting. "No, it's just me. And I can't hear anyone, anywhere. I have to be fairly close. The more familiar someone's… 'voice' is, the farther away I can hear them. But still, no more than a few miles. It's a little like being in a huge hall filled with people, everyone talking at once. It's just a hum –a buzzing of voices in the background. Until I focus on one voice, and then what they're thinking is clear. Most of the time I tune it all out –it can be very distracting. And then it seems easier to be _normal_ when I'm not accidentally answering someone's thoughts rather than their words."

"Why do you think you can't hear me?" I wondered.

"I don't know," he admitted, "The only guess I have is that maybe your mind doesn't work the same way the rest of theirs do. Like your thought are on the AM frequency and I'm only getting FM."

"My mind doesn't work right?" I was slightly offended, "I'm a freak?"

"I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that _you're_ the freak," he laughed, "Don't worry, it's just a theory… Which brings us back to you."

I bit my lip. Oh, _now_ I was worrying about telling him? Wasn't I so_ brave_ earlier?

"Aren't we past all the evasions now?" he asked quietly. Yes, we are. I'm just having a bit of trouble with my head. Then my eyes wandered onto the speed pedometer…

"Holy cow!" I gasped, "Slow down!"

"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"You're going a hundred miles an hour!" I yelled.

"Relax, Bella." He rolled his eyes.

"Why are you in such a hurry? I'm already going to come quietly, damn it!"

"I always drive like this…" Confusion crossed his face. "Come quietly? What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to argue, I'm not going to fight back, I'm not going to try and run away, so this must be relatively easy for you," my voice was high-strung, "Now keep your eyes on the road!"

"Not until you explain," he threatened, meeting my gaze.

"My theory is that you and your family are vampires, and I thought you were going to end my life as of tonight. I mean, you did tell Carlisle that I smelled _much_ better. So I thought that at some point you would be sinking your teeth into my skin and sucking me dry. I mean, that's part of the reason why I was panicking tonight!" The words came out in a fast, panicky mess, leaving me breathless afterwards. "So –can –you –please_ –watch_ –_the_ –_road_!?" I said in between breaths, making sure to emphasize the last three words.

"What?" he asked.

"Please don't make me say it _again_," I breathed, "I _know_ you heard me."

"I'm not slowing down until you do," he threatened again, "So say it again a bit slower."

I sighed, "Okay. When you first asked me about my theories, I lied. I was thinking that you were a vampire, but I wasn't sure. Then I became sure that you were a vampire this weekend. So then came the war between self-preservation and… friendship, and I became depressed again. And then when you saved me from those four guys I was debating which was scarier: dealing with those men or being alone in a car with a vampire. So then I thought that you were going to repay your debt to fate by killing me and having my very desirable blood. So the whole time I was waiting for it to be all over, hoping that you would make it quick and painless. And then came this whole theory about playing with your food… Never mind that one. Umm, and right now I was thinking that you were going to bring me to a desolate area where you could get down to business."

Then my tone became slightly upset, "But apparently you weren't planning on doing that! Either I just gave you an idea right now or I just showed how much of an _idiot_ I am! Stupid, _stupid_, Bella, will you _ever_ learn?"

I became really angry at myself, "Edward, drive as fast as you can! Because I'm going to _jump_ off this car and _kill_ myself!"

"I won't let you do that," he said, already slowing down. I slumped down my seat. I was utterly exhausted at the moment. But who wouldn't be? Edward seemed amused again.

"What?" I demanded.

"At least _now_ you're reacting like a normal human should. But I don't see how you ever thought that I was going to suck your blood tonight," he fought back his laughter.

"So I'm wrong?" I breathed.

"No, you're right. But think about it, Bella. Why would I save your life if I was just going to take it away later on?"

"I see your point."

And suddenly the car stopped. I guess he didn't really slow down that much, anyway. I began to take of his jacket.

"You can keep it," he said, "You don't have a jacket for tomorrow."

"I don't want to have to explain to Uncle Charlie…"

"Oh. Right."

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. I'll save you a seat for lunch."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

I began to get out of the car when…

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Sleep well," he whispered. I got out of the car and watched him drive away again. Then I realized something.

Now that I _knew_ that he wasn't going to take my life anytime soon… There was only one explanation I could think of…

He was pursuing me. Again was I thrilled and terrified at the thought.

Once again, Edward somehow managed to make a crack in the shell that encrusted my heart.

But as of right now, it was only a tiny crack.


	14. Challenge

**Chapter 14: Challenge**

If Edward really was pursuing me –and somehow I wished he were –then there must be a way to make this work… I wished that this were true.

Nevertheless, it somehow became impossible. My heart was still in its inactive sleeping state, surrounded by a concrete shell that merely had a crack on it. I was still terrified.

The war of self-preservation versus love was never going to end, was it?

I didn't get enough sleep last night. All the nightmares, all the memories, they began to haunt me once again. I stayed awake for as long as I could, then I would fall asleep and wake up crying. I was glad the screaming stopped; I wasn't waking up Uncle Charlie anymore.

I got up, realizing that it was morning. I scrambled down the stairs to get a granola bar from the kitchen and stuff my face with it. I quickly ran back upstairs to brush my teeth. I changed into my usual: long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and rubber shoes. Light blue, blue, and white, in that order. I combed my hair once and tied it into an untidy bun. Taking my backpack and guitar case I rushed out the door, making sure to locked the front door. I ran down the driveway and stopped. I had forgotten my sweater. I was about to head back inside when I noticed something…

A silver Volvo parked in our driveway. I froze. So he really _was_ pursuing me… I knew I should be frightened –being pursued by a vampire –but I was happy.

Edward suddenly appeared, and the passenger door suddenly opened. I felt my eyes widen.

"Do you want to ride with me today?" he asked. And once again, I found myself unable to decline. My brain disconnected from my body.

"Thank you," I muttered as I got in. I closed the door behind me. I jumped when he was suddenly beside me. Oh, right, super speed… forgot… wasn't used to it…

Edward was smiling, which meant he wasn't upset. That was good. I leaned my head on the headrest when I felt something there. I reached back to find out what it was. His jacket… it still had a scent. Were vampires supposed to smell good?

"I brought the jacket for you," he told me, "I didn't want you to get sick or something."

I put on the jacket, "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"… And how long have you been seventeen?"

He smiled widely, "A while."

"That explains the chivalry then," I said.

I stared out the window. Here I was, sitting in Edward's car and wearing his jacket, with thrill and terror shooting up my spine at the same time. He didn't need to try very hard to charm me. I was already in love with him. The fear temporarily disappeared, now that my brain was disconnected.

"What, no twenty questions today?" he asked. How velvety and soft the tone of his voice was. I loved it, too.

"_Stop it, Bella," _I ordered. I guess my brain wasn't _completely_ disconnected. I faced him, almost surprised at how beautiful he was. Gosh, was I really awake?

"Do my questions bother you?" I asked, not smiling, but there was a smile in my voice.

"Not as much as your reactions do," he smiled. I loved his smile, too. Was there anything that I _didn't _love about him?

It was strange. Even though my heart was inactive, I knew that I loved him. My brain must be making references from when my heart was alive again. Relying on my memory, I supposed. Would my heart ever start working again?

"Do I react badly?" I asked, frowning.

"Other than last night, no, but that's the problem. You take almost everything so coolly –it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking."

"I always tell you what I'm really thinking," I lied. Of course, I couldn't tell him _everything_.

"You edit."

I bit my lip, "Not very much."

"Enough to drive me insane," he said.

"I don't want you to hear it…" I whispered, hoping that for once he wouldn't hear. I never, ever, _ever_, wanted to relive my dark past. Ever. "Where's the rest of your family?" I changed the subject.

"They took Rosalie's car," he said, parking beside the very car he was talking about. I felt my eyes widen. "Ostentatious, isn't it?"

"Um, wow. If she has _that_, why does she ride with you?" my voice was full of awe, "I mean, not that your car isn't nice. It's just… wow."

"Like I said, it's ostentatious. We _try_ to blend in."

"You don't succeed." If I could have laughed, I would have. "So why did Rosalie drive today if it was more conspicuous?" I wondered.

"Hadn't you noticed? I'm breaking _all_ the rules now." I got a bit startled by that. What exactly did he mean?

Oh, right. Vampire and human –clearly not allowed. As I pondered this, Edward opened my door for me. I wished I wasn't so slow that I gave him a chance to do that. If we were going to make this work, he needed to be a little less polite. He helped me out of the car.

I noticed that we were standing unusually close. My hand twitched, wishing that it could feel his cold, smooth skin against it. I pulled it back. We began to walk.

"Why do you have cars like that at all? If you're looking for privacy?" I asked.

"An indulgence," he admitted, "We all like to drive fast."

"Figures," I remarked.

Then I spotted Jessica under the edge of the cafeteria roof. Her expression made me blush.

"Hey, Jessica," I greeted.

"Good morning, Jessica," Edward said. Her eyes widened.

"Er… hi," she mumbled, "I guess I'll see you in Trig."

"Yeah, I'll see you then," my mouth twitched. I knew what was coming next. She was going to interrogate me about last night, probably. She's so predictable in that way.

"What are you going to tell her?" Edward asked. I glared at him.

"Hey!" I whisper-shouted, "I thought you couldn't read my mind!"

"I can't," he stared at me, surprised. Then comprehension crossed his face, "However, I can read hers –she'll be waiting to ambush you during class." I groaned. This was so typically Jessica. "So what are you going to tell her?" Edward pressed.

"A little help? What does she want to know?"

"That's not fair," he shook his head, smiling.

My eyes tightened, "No, you not sharing what you know –now that's unfair."

We walked to the doors of my classroom. I was about to leave when…

"She wants to know if we're secretly dating," Edward said slowly, "And she wants to know how you feel about me."

"Yikes," I tried to sound innocent, "What should I say?" I wanted to know what _he_ thought about it.

"Hmmm," was all he said, a thoughtful expression on his face. Suddenly, he took the strand of hair that lay across my shoulder and placed it back into the untidy bun of my hair. I blushed. "I suppose you could say yes to the first… if you don't mind –it's easier than any other explanation."

"I don't mind," I whispered.

"And as for her other question…" he smiled widely, "Well, I'll be listening to hear the answer to that one myself." I felt my eyes widen and my mouth hung open. He laughed at my expression before leaving, "I'll see you at lunch."

The rest of the day went passively. I was glad that I was invisible to the teachers. If they called on me, I would've been caught answerless. What was I going to say?

"_I am absolutely and irrevocably in love with him." _Yes, that would be enough to keep Jessica quiet. However, I had to remember that Edward would be listening the whole time.

Then came the hour of truth.

"Tell me everything!" Jessica demanded the moment I sat down.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, stalling. All the while, hoping she wouldn't notice I was wearing Edward's jacket. I had forgotten to return it to him.

"What happened last night?" Ah, one of the easiest questions. I wouldn't even have to lie.

"He bought me dinner, and then he drove me home."

"How did you get home so fast?" Jessica eyed me suspiciously.

"He drives like a maniac. It's terrifying," I rolled my eyes. That ought to give Edward a good laugh.

"Was it like a date –did you tell him to meet you there?"

"No –I was _very _surprised to see him there."

"But he picked you up from school today? And you're wearing his jacket?" Oh, so she _did_ notice.

"Yes –that was a surprise, too. He noticed I didn't have a jacket today, and he thought it was cold out."

"So are you going out again?" Jessica demanded.

"He offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because he thinks my truck isn't up to it –does that count?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, yes."

"Wow… Edward Cullen."

"I know," I sighed. Yes, he was Edward Cullen. Student, Vampire, Friend… Best Friend.

"Wait!" Jessica suddenly said, "Has he kissed you?" K-kissed me? Kiss a vampire? Kiss of death much!

"No," I mumbled, "It's not like that." Although, I wish it was, somehow.

So what if it was? What _if_ he kissed me? It was impossible though. And I don't think he would even want to.

"Do you think Saturday…?" Jessica prodded.

"I really doubt it," I was getting frustrated. Jessica was nosy.

"What did you talk about?"

"I don't know, Jess, lots of stuff. We talked about the English essay a little," I lied. Of course, I couldn't tell her what we _really_ talked about.

"Please, Bella! Give me some details!"

I deliberated for a moment, "Well… okay, I've got one. You should have seen the waitress flirting with him –it was over the top. But he didn't pay attention to her at all."

"That's a good sign. Was she pretty?"

"Very," I told her, "And probably nineteen or twenty."

"Even better. He must like you."

"I _think_ so," I talked slowly, taking to mind that he was listening, "But it's hard to tell. He's always so cryptic. Sometimes I think he just hangs around me out of courtesy."

"I don't know how you're brave enough to be alone with him," Jessica said.

"Why?"

"He's so… intimidating. I wouldn't know what to say to him."

"I do have some trouble with coherency when I'm around him." If I could have smiled, I would have.

"Oh well," Jessica sighed, "He _is_ unbelievably gorgeous."

I glared at her. That wasn't fair. She couldn't _possibly_ see Edward as just a pretty face, could she? He was a lot more than that. He's kind, sweet, chivalrous, considerate, polite, empathetic, tolerant, understanding, patient, and so much more. How could she not see that?

"There's a lot more to him than that," I snapped.

"Really? Like what?"

I bit my lip, "I can't explain it right. But he's even more unbelievable _behind_ the face."

I looked away. How could it be possible that I was afraid of him, and say these things about him? Oh, right, my brain disconnected from my body this morning.

"Is that possible?" Jessica giggled, and I was very deeply annoyed. I ignored her. "So you like him, then?"

"Yes," I answered, not looking at her.

"I mean, do you _really_ like him?" Ugh, wasn't it obvious enough without my say so?

"Yes," I couldn't help but blush. I bet Edward would've seen it.

"How _much_ do you like him?" Jessica demanded. This was the most difficult question. How much _did_ I like him? My cheeks felt hot.

"Too much," I concluded, whispering, "More than he likes me. But I don't see how I can help that." I was sad again.

It wouldn't make sense for him to return my feelings. I was in love with him. How could he love someone so… so… plain? A liar, even. How could he feel anything special towards this sad, pathetic, useless girl?

Edward deserved the best, and that definitely wasn't me.

Jessica and I didn't really talk about the subject afterwards. She started to talk about her date with Mike, and I paid no close attention. I was not interested.

I was focusing on a way to escape my classroom before Edward would catch me. I knew he would bombard me with a flood of questions that I definitely didn't want to answer. For all I knew, he could've been waiting for me already when class ended.

"You're not sitting with us today, are you?" Jessica asked.

"I don't _think_ so," I answered. I wouldn't even go to lunch. I would hide in the library, probably.

Jessica and I walked out of the classroom together. And just as I had expected –much to my dismay –Edward was waiting for me. Both Jessica and I opened our eyes a little wider. He thwarted my escape plans.

"See you later, Bella," Jessica said, walking away. _"No, wait, come back! Don't leave me! I'm in trouble!" _Dang.

I took a step closer to Edward. My cheeks felt hot again. He heard everything that we talked about, so he would probably get upset. _More than he likes me. But I don't see how I can help that. _Why did I have to say that?

"Hello," Edward said, a little offhandedly.

"Hi," was all I could manage. I didn't want to upset him further.

Edward led me to the cafeteria. I was restless when we waited in line. I would sometimes look at him, but whenever he met my gaze, I'd look down immediately. I was in hot water. Then I noticed that he was getting one of everything.

"What are you doing?" I hissed softly, "You're not getting all that for me?"

He shook his head, pushing the tray up to the register, "Half is for me, of course." I doubted it, looking at him skeptically. We sat down at the table we had sat down at last week. I sat down across him. He pushed the tray towards me.

"Take whatever you want," he encouraged.

I picked up an apple and twisted it in my hands, stalling, "What would you do if someone dared you to eat food?" I made sure to keep my voice soft.

"You're always curious," he complained. He got a slice of pizza and bit off a small piece of it. He chewed and swallowed. Impressive. "If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn't you?"

I wrinkled my nose. I remembered when Rachel was curious, so she forced me. The experience was very unpleasant. "I did once…" I looked down. I added quickly, "On a dare. It wasn't so bad."

He laughed, "I suppose I'm not surprised." He looked away for a moment, and then faced back to me. "Jessica's analyzing everything I do," he informed me, "She'll break it down for you later."

He pushed back the plate of pizza towards me. A little hesitant –how would I know if he was poisonous or not –I took a bite from the same slice. Nothing bad was happening… It didn't taste any different… Safe.

"So the waitress was pretty, was she?" Edward asked.

"You really didn't notice?" I raised my eyebrow.

"No. I wasn't paying attention. I had a lot on my mind," he looked at me, meeting my gaze. I blushed again. Was he paying attention to me, then?

"Poor girl," there was a slight smile in my voice. How I wished I could smile for Edward again.

"Something you said to Jessica…" his voice became serious, "Well, it bothers me." _"Here it comes."_

"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdroppers," my voice was defensive.

"I warned you I would be listening," he reminded.

"And I warned you that I didn't want you to know what I was really thinking."

"You did. But I do want to know what you're really thinking –everything. I just wish… that you wouldn't be thinking some things."

Everything? No, I couldn't. Not yet. I wouldn't know how he would react. I would wait for the right moment.

"Do you truly believe that you care for me more than I do for you?" he leaned towards me. My eyes widened, my breathing stopped. It really was as if my brain was substituting for my heart, relying on memory to pick a reaction.

"You're doing it again," I breathed.

"What?"

"Dazzling me," I admitted.

"Oh."

"It's not your fault," I sighed, "You can't help it." Well, it wasn't as if I didn't _want_ him to help it. Whenever he 'dazzled' me, it made me feel like I actually mattered. But for everything else, I was unimportant.

"Are you going to answer my question?" he demanded.

"Yes, I really think that," I was sad again, looking down at the table. The blood rushed to my cheeks as I bit my lip. I was in trouble now.

"You're wrong," he promised. His voice soft now.

"You can't know that," I whispered, looking at him now. But his eyes conveyed that he truly meant what he said.

"What makes you think so?" he wondered.

"Well, aside from the obvious," I murmured, "Sometimes… I can't be sure –_I_ don't know how to read minds –but sometimes it seems like you're trying to say goodbye when you're saying something else."

"Perceptive," he breathed, "That's exactly why you're wrong, though –What do you mean 'the obvious?'"

"Well, look at me," I said, pain twisted in my voice. I didn't want him to look at me, really. But I had to get my point out, "I am absolutely ordinary. No, aside from all the bad luck and clumsiness, I am nothing. Useless, unimportant, insignificant, pathetic –if I start making a list now, I'd never finish it by graduation." My face twisted in pain, because I couldn't deny what was true. "And look at you," I pointed. I looked down at the table again.

"You don't see yourself very clearly, you know," he told me. I looked up at him. "I'll admit you're dead-on about the bad luck," he laughed humorlessly, "But you didn't hear what every human male was thinking on your first day." He smiled smugly, and I didn't understand why.

"I don't believe it," I mumbled, my face going blank.

"Trust me this once –you are the opposite of ordinary."

I flushed, changing the subject, "But I'm not saying goodbye."

"Don't you see? That's what proves me right. I care the most, because if I can do it…" He shook his head, "If leaving is the right thing to do… Then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe." I glared at him.

"And you don't think I would do the same?"

"You'd never have to make the choice." I stared at him. How difficult it must be for him… Then he suddenly smiled, "Of course, keeping you safe is beginning to feel like a full-time occupation that requires my constant presence."

"No one has tried to do away with me today," I joked.

"Yet," he added dryly.

"Yet," I agreed.

"I have another question for you," he said.

"Shoot," I muttered.

"Do you really have to go to Seattle this Saturday, or was that just an excuse to get out of saying no to all your admirers?" Damn.

"I really had a reason, but because you offered to bring me there, I had to rearrange my plans," I whispered. If he was being honest with me, I'd be honest with him… as much as I could.

"Why?"

"Umm… I was going to look at a few places… to move in to…" I looked down, playing with my fingers.

"Move in to?" he repeated.

"I feel like I'm a burden to Uncle Charlie," I explained, "I'm always so depressed, and he constantly has to worry. So I was planning to get my own place… a relatively small one."

"So the thing about the college fund…?" he asked.

"I lied," I admitted, "I'm sorry."

"If I'd asked you, would you have turned _me_ down?" he wondered.

"Probably not," I said, "But I would have cancelled later –faked an illness or a sprained ankle."

"Why would you do that?"

"You've obviously never seen me in Gym… That is, before I broke my leg. I don't really do anything now," I told him.

"Are you referring to the fact that you can't walk across a flat, stable surface without finding something to trip over?"

"Obviously."

"That wouldn't be a problem. It's all in the leading."

I could only imagine a moment like that, where I would be safe in his arms… Safe… Where no one would ever hurt me… I was denied of that for four years… Would I ever get that back?

"Are you resolved on going to Seattle, or do you mind if we do something different?" he asked.

As long as it was Edward… "I'm open to alternatives," I said, "But I do have a favor to ask."

"What?"

"Can I drive?"

"Why?"

"I told Uncle Charlie, you know, asked his permission. And leaving my truck at home would just bring up the subject unnecessarily."

"Won't you want to tell your uncle that you're spending the day with me?" he asked.

"With Uncle Charlie, less is always more," I said, "Where are we going anyway?"

"The weather will be nice," he told me, "So I'll be staying out of public eye… and you can stay with me, if you'd like to."

"And you'll show me why vampires can't be in the sun?" I kept my voice low, "I mean, since they don't weaken or die or… whatever."

"Yes. But… If you don't want to be… alone with me, I'd still rather you didn't go Seattle by yourself. I shudder to think of the trouble you could find in a city that size… So I'd rather that you stay with me."

"As it happens, I don't mind being alone with you," I said.

"I think you should tell Charlie, though," Edward sighed.

"Why in the world would I do that?" I asked, horrified.

Uncle Charlie would never let me be alone with a boy, not after what I've been through. It may be a different case, but he thinks I'm too sensitive. He doesn't want to see me hurt again… Heck, _I_ didn't want to get hurt again.

Edward glared at me. "To give me a small incentive to bring you back," he hissed. I cringed away from him. How did I miss the sign for running away? I looked down at the table.

"Let's talk about something else," I said gently, practically whispering. I didn't want to upset him again.

"What do you want to talk about?" That was a difficult question. I didn't want him to get angry, so it probably wasn't a good idea for me to choose. I tried to think of a safe topic. "I'm sorry I frightened you," Edward suddenly said.

"It's my fault," I faced him, "I'll tell Uncle Charlie about it… But I won't be sure that he'll allow it…"

No, he _wouldn't_ allow it. Maybe… _If_ I showed him that I was happy… But he probably wouldn't believe me, since I've been acting depressed all weekend… That could work. But I would have to try very hard to smile…

"Umm…" I made sure to keep my voice low, "Why did you go to that Goat Rocks place last weekend? To hunt? Uncle Charlie said it wasn't a good place to hike, because of the bears." He stared at me, one eyebrow raised. "Bears?" I almost gasped, "But bears are not in season."

"If you read carefully, the law only covers hunting with weapons," he said. My mouth fell open. No weapons? Hmm… super speed, super strength, teeth… I guess that _would_ be enough…

"Bears?" I repeated.

"Grizzly is Emmett's favorite."

"Hmm," I murmured, "So, what's _your_ favorite, then?"

"Mountain lion," he answered brusquely, "Of course, we have to be careful not to impact the environment with injudicious hunting. We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators –ranging as far away as we need. There's always plenty of deer and elk here, and they'll do, but where's the fun in that?"

I guess I sort of understood what he meant. If I were a vampire –I shuddered at the thought –I don't think it would be any fun to prey on defenseless, little animals. Where would be the thrill of the hunt? I shuddered again –I could've sworn that I was thinking just like a vampire.

"Where indeed," I agreed thoughtlessly, biting the slice of pizza that I had forgotten about.

"Early spring is Emmett's favorite bear season," he continued, "They're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable."

"Nothing more fun than an irritated grizzly bear," I nodded. Somehow I couldn't picture how a vampire could possibly hunt without weapons. I was sure that they didn't _need_ weapons, but I couldn't picture it.

Edward chuckled. "Tell me what you're really thinking, please," he shook his head.

"I'm trying to picture it –but I can't. How do you hunt bears without weapons?"

"Oh, we have weapons," he smiled widely. I flinched. "Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting."

I glanced toward the Cullen table. Emmett was very bulky and muscular… just like a bear. I guess it wasn't that difficult to imagine the way he hunts after all. I shuddered.

"Are you like a bear, too?" I asked, whispering.

"More like the lion, or so they tell me," his voice was detached, "Perhaps our preferences are indicative."

"Perhaps," I repeated. Then I thought about something, cocking my head to the side. Although, I wasn't sure if I was going to ask him, I didn't want him to get mad again. Curiosity overpowered fear. "Is that something I might get to see?" I asked softly.

"Absolutely not!" he snarled, only loud enough for me to hear. I flinched, jerking away. He leaned back, too. _"Bella, you are an absolute idiot. Stop upsetting him!" _

"We're going to be late," he snapped, rising to his feet. What?

I looked around. Oh yeah, we were at school. Forgot…

Edward and I walked silently to Biology, and then took our seats. Mr. Banner pulled in a TV and VCR, announcing that we would be watching _Lorenzo's Oil_. I noticed that this time, Edward didn't move far away from me this time. He was sitting close to me, close enough for me to feel the cool temperature of his skin.

Then the lights went out.

In this dark room, where no one could see –except Edward, there was electricity. And the sudden urge to touch him became strong once again. Was it because I knew that I could get away with it? Because if Edward minded, all he had to do was pull away?

No.

I folded my arms across my chest, balling them up into fists. Edward was upset enough that I kept flirting with danger, how angry he would be if I tried to touch him.

The darkness became a bit lighter when the movie finally started. I glanced at Edward. He didn't seem so upset anymore. But he was in the same position as I was. Did that mean he wanted to touch me, too? The possibility would have made my heart flutter. Another crack.

So Edward did show interest in me, beyond courtesy. Maybe he liked me, too. I felt my breathing become shallow. My brain was very good at acting like my heart. I could swear that my heart was the one reacting. But I knew that it was only based on memory and reference.

And all too soon, the hour passed. The lights turned back on. I stretched, stiff from holding the awkward position.

Edward chuckled, "Well, that was interesting."

"Umm," I murmured. I had forgotten to pay attention to the film.

"Shall we?" he asked, standing. He offered his hand, and I took it. As if, I could refuse him anymore, anyway. He escorted me to Gym, the whole trip silent.

I turned to him to say goodbye, but stopped. His expression seemed… conflicted. I was about to open my mouth to ask what was wrong, but I bit my tongue. He lifted his hand to my face; his cold, slender fingers stroked my cheekbone.

I felt like time froze, and that no one was there except for the two of us. Like no one in else in the world existed. In that moment where he touched me, I felt as though my heart was working again. It was as if I fell in love… again.

Edward forced himself to turn around, walking away stiffly. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks again. My heart had another crack… a big one.

* * *

"So," Mike said, as we towards the gym door.

"So what?" I asked.

"You and Cullen, huh?"

"No offense, Mike, but I'd rather not discuss my personal relationships with other people."

"I don't like it."

"Well, you don't have to," I snapped.

"He looks at you like… like you're something to eat."

"I don't think he practices cannibalism," I kept the tone of my voice skeptical, hiding my grimace.

When Mike and I got out of the gym, Edward was leaning on the wall, waiting for me. I walked to his side, a bit closer than I usually stood next to him.

"Hi," I whispered. I hadn't forgotten earlier. I was still a little dazed by it.

"Hello," he said, "How was Gym?"

"Fine," I lied. I was lost in thought the whole time.

My thoughts were depressing. What would my life be like if I hadn't been…? I couldn't even get myself to say it. How would I be different? Would I be stronger? Would I actually be worthy of being the object of Edward's affection… _if_ I ever _was_ that?

Part of me should be thankful for my misfortune. Because the events that were caused by it, led to me coming to Forks. And if I never came to Forks, I would've never met Edward. And he wouldn't be forced to protect me.

This saddened me again.

"Really?" Edward's voice pulled me out of my temporary reverie. Then Edward suddenly turned to face a different direction.

"What is it?" I asked. I traced the direction of his eyes to see that he was glaring at Mike.

"Newton's getting on my nerves," he admitted. My mouth fell open.

"You weren't listening again?" He must have seen my saddened expression.

"What's wrong? You looked upset."

"You're unbelievable!" I angrily walked away from him, to the parking lot. He easily kept up with me.

"You were the one who mentioned how I'd never seen you in Gym," he explained, "It made me curious."

I continued walking, but was stopped by a group of male students blocking the way. Edward pushed his way through the crowd, and I followed.

"Ostentatious," he muttered as he opened my door. He closed it and walked to his side.

"What kind of car is that?"

"An M3."

I frowned, "I don't speak _car_."

"It's a BMW," he rolled his eyes. He backed up carefully and drove out of the parking lot. "Are you still angry?"

"Definitely," I replied curtly. Stupid, special vampire abilities. Stupid, spying vampire.

Edward sighed. "Will you forgive me if I apologize?"

"Maybe… if you mean it. _And_ if you promise not to do it again."

"How about if I mean it, _and_ you don't have to tell your Uncle about this Saturday."

"Deal," I said, after a moment of thought.

He looked into my eyes, "Then I'm very sorry I upset you." My eyes widened, stunned. Dazzled.

Edward half-smiled, "And I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning."

"Um," I said, "it doesn't help with the Uncle Charlie situation if an unexplained Volvo is left in the driveway."

"I wasn't intending to bring a car."

"How –" I began to ask.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be there, no car."

"Umm… Edward…?"

"Yes?"

"You know that I'm going to Port Angeles again, right?"

"Yes."

"And you don't have to pick up your family, because they're going to take Rosalie's car?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean…?" my voice trailed off.

"That I'm going to watch you perform?" he finished my question, "Well… Yes, I suppose it does."

"Oh…" Great, Edward was going to watch. Could I get any more nervous?

Then I realized something.

As long as Edward and I were trying to make it work… Edward would be tested to resist my blood, and not kill me. I would be dared to not run away screaming. With the very fundamental nature of the two of us, life was presenting us with a formidable challenge.

And we would gladly accept.

* * *

"You did wonderful," Edward complimented as we approached Uncle Charlie's house.

"Nah," I blushed.

"So," he asked, "If you aren't going to try and move out anymore, what are you going to do with the money?"

"College fund."

"Oh."

The car stopped. Our time together was up a little too soon. I opened the door and stepped outside. I leaned back into the car.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

He smiled. "Of… course…" his smile and voice trailed off. He cocked his head to the side.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Who is that woman waiting for you on the porch?"

"What…?" I turned around.

My eyes widened. I felt my mouth fall open. I dropped my bag and guitar case, completely stunned. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes.

"Aunt Cathy?"


	15. Waterfall

**Chapter 15: Waterfall**

"Aunt Cathy?" I couldn't believe it.

"Bella!" she ran, arms spread out wide. I met her halfway, and we embraced each other.

"Oh, Aunt Cathy, I missed you," I allowed the tears of happiness to flow from my eyes as I embraced my true mother.

"I missed you, too, Bella," she kissed my forehead and released me.

Her yellow hair flowed down her shoulders, reaching her waist. Her light skin was as clear as ever. She wore a blue, button-down blouse and denim skirt that reached below her knees. She had blue high-heeled shoes on her tiny feet.

"Bella," she shook her head, "You're a mess. You haven't been getting enough sleep, have you? Look at those eye bags!"

"I…" I began, but she cut me off,

"Please don't tell me you went back to the same monotonous outfits!"

"But…"

"And look at you! You're nothing but bones. Haven't you been eating?"

"Well…"

"It's a good thing I showed up; Charlie was right to be worried."

"Aunt Cathy!" I interrupted, "I'm extremely happy to see you and all but… What are you doing here? Where's Uncle Charlie? How long…?"

"First of all," she began, "I came because Charlie called me, and I was worried about you. He told me that you're still having nightmares and that you're depressed, and that you haven't been eating enough. So I came straight away."

"I'm fine," I insisted, "And you know how easily Uncle Charlie gets worried."

"Second," she continued, "I told Charlie to stay over at a friend's house so we could spend some 'quality time' together. And so he's staying over at the Blacks' place. Third, I'm staying over until Saturday."

"Saturday?" I exclaimed, horrified. Of course, I hadn't forgotten about Edward.

"What's wrong, Bella?" she asked.

"Bella and I actually had plans on that day," Edward informed. He stood beside us, carrying my things.

"Who's your friend?" Aunt Cathy asked.

"Aunt Cathy, this is Edward Cullen," I introduced, "And Edward, this is my Aunt Cathy."

"A pleasure," he smiled, "Bella has told me much about you."

"It's very nice to meet you, Edward," she smiled back, "Bella, is he your boyfriend?"

"Aunt Cathy!" I flushed. They both laughed.

"We're good friends," Edward said, "I think I should be going now."

"Oh, do come inside," Aunt Cathy invited, "I would very much like to know about your relationship with my niece."

"If you insist," he agreed.

* * *

"So you saved Bella from a car accident?" Aunt Cathy asked.

"Yes, and we've been friends ever since," Edward answered.

"Yeah," I agreed, "I can never thank him enough for saving my life."

"I am curious," Edward said, "What do you do, Cathy?"

"I have my own radio station and recording studio," she explained, "I'm a musician, you see."

"I assume that's where Bella gets her musical talent."

"Oh, if you like her songs, you should see what she writes."

"NO!" I retorted.

They ignored me. "Is Bella a writer?" Edward asked.

"She used to be," Aunt Cathy replied, "The last thing she wrote was a book of short stories, essays, and poems. She called it 'Word Collage (actually written by me).' You can read it if you want, here." She searched through her large purse and took out the homemade book that I had written.

"Why do you have that?" I scolded.

"I was going to return it to you," Aunt Cathy said as she handed the book to Edward.

"Oh no," I covered my face, sure that it turned bright red. First, he hears my music, now he reads my pieces.

"This is good," Edward commented as his eyes glanced swiftly upon the page. He closed it and held it out to Aunt Cathy, "Well, I should be leaving now."

"Keep the book," she pushed the book back to Edward, "Just return it to Bella."

"No, just keep it," I shook my head.

"Well, thank you for your hospitality. Have a nice evening," Edward left. After we heard his Volvo leave, Aunt Cathy faced me.

"Bella, he's very handsome," she remarked.

"Yeah," I agreed. Handsome was a major understatement, though.

"So, what are you going to wear?"

"Huh?"

"To Seattle? Surely, you must have something special you want to wear."

"Um… Aunt Cathy, I'm pretty sure you know that I have a 'special' reason why I can't wear anything else," I reminded.

"Don't worry. I have an outfit that will look good _and_ hide your scars." She opened her suitcase and looked for something. She handed me a pile of clothes, "Go try them on."

"Gosh, Aunt Cathy, you didn't have to."

"Of course I did. You can't wear pants all your life, after all. Now go and try them on."

* * *

I woke up. Today was Saturday, finally. I jumped out of bed. I scrambled to the kitchen to stuff my face with a granola bar. I went back upstairs and brushed my teeth. Then I dressed into a white long-sleeved shirt, brown turtleneck sweater, pants, and rubber shoes.

I was happy that Aunt Cathy was still asleep; she would've bothered me about wearing that dress she bought for me. Just then, the doorbell rang.

I ran to the door and opened it. Just as I hoped, Edward was there.

"Hi," I greeted.

"Hello," he smiled, fighting back a laugh.

"What?" I asked.

"We match," he informed. I looked at what he was wearing. He was wearing the same sweater. We laughed. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded.

I walked with Edward to the driveway. His silver Volvo was there –I guess since Aunt Cathy was okay with me spending the day with Edward, he could drive. He opened the door for me and I got in. A second later, he was beside me. I wasn't surprised anymore, because I got used to it.

"Where are we going?" I asked as Edward started to drive.

"A place," he answered.

"What place?" I pressed.

"It's a surprise," he smiled.

"Can you at least give me a hint?"

"Hmm… let's just say… it's a place that you've wanted to go to for a long time."

"You read my book, didn't you?" I accused. I remembered writing about places that I wanted to go to, although, I didn't exactly remember what they were. I had written that book four years ago, after all.

"I'm finished with it, actually," he admitted, "I've just been reading it over and over. It's really good."

"No it's not," I shook my head, "I wrote that when I was thirteen."

"Why did you stop?" he asked. Time to lie… again. I hated lying to him. Maybe I could be as honest as I could be.

"Four years ago," I began hesitantly, "I… had a really bad experience. I was depressed… and the accident with my parents just made it worse…" Well, at least it was honest. "That's why I'm so grateful to you. Because I was wallowing in my sorrow, and I wasn't really living. When I met you, I became happier."

"You've done the same for me, as well," he said, "So once we get there, I'll tell you everything."

That struck a chord. He was going to be honest with me. Now I was _obligated_ to tell him the truth. But I wasn't ready. I wasn't prepared. I _would_ tell him, just… not yet. But what was I waiting for?

Then the car stopped. I looked up. We were at a forest. How fast was he driving?

Before I was able to completely haul myself from my subconscious thoughts, Edward opened my door for me. I internally cursed myself for being slow, and took his hand. We walked to the mouth of the forest.

"Are you ready?" Edward asked.

"We're going to hike?" I clarified. He nodded. "Well then, let's get to it." With that, he led me into the woods.

The trek seemed to take hours, but it wasn't long enough. Because I wasn't very graceful, I would trip every so often, and Edward was always there to catch me. When our skin came into contact, I could swear that my heart could beat again.

"We're almost there," Edward had said when we got to the bottom of a slope. And then we climbed up it, which I had a lot of trouble with. About halfway up, I heard rushing water and suspected a river. But I was enjoying my day with Edward too much to really think about it.

Strangely, we got to the mouth of a cave. I was hesitant, but I followed Edward in. It was completely dark –to the point that I couldn't see my own hand in front of my face –so I had to hold Edward's hand the whole time. This took another hour, and halfway there, the sound of rushing water became more defined.

When we reached the other side of the cave, where the exit was, I knew where we were. The rushing water, the cave, the slope –we were at a waterfall. I carefully walked to the opening.

The afternoon sun shone right above us, reflecting on the rushing water that covered the cave's opening. I looked down to find that we were about thirty feet above the ground. The view was amazing –the exact vision I had when I wrote about the waterfall. It was beautiful –more beautiful than I'd ever hoped it would be.

I turned to smile at Edward –the first time I'd smiled in a very long time. He was hiding in the shadows. Was he hesitant about showing me something? He took a deep breath and sighed. He walked to me, and my eyes widened at what I saw.

Edward was… shimmering. The sunlight that reflected off his skin created rainbows. He smiled back at me, showing my favorite crooked smile.

"It's beautiful," my voice was filled with awe.

"Yes," he agreed, "I remember the first time I found this place." He sat down, his legs dangling on the edge of the rock. I sat beside him. "It was nighttime. My family and I were having an argument… about you." He stared out into the sky. "Alice predicted that I would fall in love with you… I guess she was right after all."

"She can see the future…" I guessed.

"She sees the consequences of any decision," he explained, "She sees the path that a person is on. Once their decisions change, the future changes, too."

"What do the rest of them do?" I asked, staring out into the sky, too.

"Emmett is the strongest one among us. Jasper has the ability to control people's emotions. Carlisle has his compassion, Esme has her love and Rosalie has her tenacity… or you could call it pigheadedness." I laughed at that comment.

"How did you become vampires?"

"It was in nineteen-eighteen. The Spanish Influenza epidemic… I was going to die, but Carlisle saved me. Then, when Esme fell off a cliff, Carlisle changed her, and ever since, they've been in love. Then he found Rosalie on the street, dying. So he changed her, in hopes that she would mean to me what Esme meant to him." Then he faced me. "But we only love each other as relatives, nothing more."

"Rosalie found Emmett in the forest," he continued, "about to get finished off by a bear. She asked Carlisle to change him for her. As for Alice and Jasper… well, they found us together. Alice has no idea how she was changed though. She just woke up to find that she had been changed."

"I don't know if I'm scared or not…" I admitted.

"I don't want you to be afraid," he said. But he didn't say that I shouldn't be afraid.

"Where did you go… after my first day in Biology?"

"On that first day, I nearly… I went to Denali," he explained, "I couldn't get your face out of my mind. But I promised myself that I wouldn't give in to the monster. So I came back. But when I saved you from that car accident…"

"I justified later on that if you had died, with your blood spilled all over the concrete, I wouldn't be able to control myself, and I would surely expose my family. But the only reason I thought of at that moment was, 'Not her.'"

"Thank you," I said suddenly, "For letting me know more about you, and for showing me this place."

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"So…" I hesitated, "Are we going to hike back down?" He raised his eyebrow. He looked down, and then back at me, giving me a mischievous smile. "Oh no!" I stood up, "We are _not_ jumping!"

"I promise you won't get hurt," he stood up, too, holding his hand out to me. I hesitated, but thought, _"What the hell."_ I took it. "Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded.

Then we jumped. I screamed in exhilaration and thrill, as we splashed into the water. All my fear had disappeared, so now, I could enjoy spending time with Edward to the fullest.

I swam to the river's edge and pulled myself up. Edward was already there when I got up.

"So, how was it?" he smiled. I looked down; a pained expression crossed my face. "Bella, I'm sorry if I hurt you," he came closer to me. I looked up at him with a devilish smile. "Don't even…" Before I even gave him a chance to finish, I pushed him into the river. He grabbed onto my sweater, pulling me in with him.

Edward and I ended up splashing water at each other. We were laughing and playing like little kids. And at that moment, I could have sworn that he wasn't a vampire. He seemed so human.

We eventually got out of the water. We sat down by the river.

"That was fun," I remarked.

"Yes, that was very enjoyable," he agreed.

"So, how do we get back?" I asked. He stood up.

"Get on my back," he said. I was confused, but I did it anyway. Then, he was off.

Edward ran. Everything was a blur because of the speed. Was this how he felt whenever he ran? The wind in his hair and the feeling of freedom? Because that's how I felt. And in a few second, we were by his car. Now that everything was still, I began to feel nauseous.

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward asked, gently setting me down on the ground.

"I… I think so…" I said slowly. My head was whirling. Even so, I noticed Edward's close proximity to me. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"I just want to… try something…" he smiled as he inched closer to my face.

What did he mean?


	16. Truth

**Chapter 16: Truth**

"I just want to… try something…" Edward smiled as he inched closer to my face.

What did he mean? Then, I realized what he meant. I looked down and blushed… was he really…?

Edward held my chin and gently pulled it up for me to face him. I looked into his liquid topaz eyes, mesmerized. I felt his other hand brush the hair on my face and tuck it behind my ear, exposing my tomato red cheeks. And all the while, his face moved closer to mine –his scent and breath filled my nose, desensitizing me. I remained still as his cold lips met mine.

I forgot everything –my past, my memories, even my own name. The only thing that made sense was this –Edward and me together, only because we loved each other. The shell around my heart shattered to a million pieces. I was whole again –living, even. My heart could beat, my lungs could breathe –I was human. But when Edward pulled me closer to him, I kept completely still –my heart stopping and my lungs out of breath. I began to feel lightheaded; I was running out of air.

Then he pulled away, and I fell limply into his arms.

"Bella?" he asked urgently.

"Edward…" I breathed for the first time in a long time, "I love you…" From now on, I would be absolutely honest with him.

He pressed his lips against my ear and whispered, "I love you too, Bella." He carried me in his arms. He opened my door and gently laid me onto the seat. He put the seatbelt on me and then went to his seat. He began to drive.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm just a bit dizzy…" I told him, "Just give it a few minutes…" My heart was beating like crazy –and I was sure that he could hear it.

I was right –after two minutes, I was back to normal. And when I say normal –I really mean normal. The rest of the trip remained silent –but it only lasted another minute before we arrived at my house again.

I was still a little out of it –so Edward helped me to the front door. When we got in, we went to the kitchen. On the fridge, there was a note:

_Dear Bella,_

_I had to leave. Sorry I couldn't say goodbye first. Love you, don't forget to write. Bye_

_Love,_

_Aunt Cathy_

I would definitely miss her.

"This isn't the first time I've been in your house," Edward said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I always come here, but when you're asleep."

"You watch me sleep…?" I asked, worried.

"You're interesting when you sleep, you talk."

"NO!" I gasped, horrified.

"Are you upset?"

"That depends!"

"On?"

"On what you heard!" I slapped my forehead with my palm. This couldn't be happening. I turned around so I wouldn't be facing him.

I felt his stone cold arms wrap around my waist, "Don't be upset. You miss your aunt, and you sometimes recite the lyrics of yours songs in your sleep. You once screamed, 'Help me,' and, 'No, please.' But I didn't understand any of that…"

"And?" I asked.

"You said my name."

"A lot?"

"… Define, 'a lot.'"

"Oh no…" I hid my face in my hands, sure that it was red.

"Don't be ashamed," he comforted, "If I could dream at all, it would be about you."

"What else did I say?" I pressed.

"You said you loved me," he said, a smile in his voice.

"But you already know that," I smiled.

"It was nice to hear all the same."

Our time alone together ended when I heard a car pull up on our driveway… Uncle Charlie.

"Looks like it's time to come clean. Too late to get rid of the evidence…" I sighed.

"Maybe not," he said, "I'll be back later."

Edward released me and walked out of the kitchen. I followed him as he walked out of the house and to his car. He met my uncle on the way. I stood frozen on the porch.

"Good afternoon, sir," he said before he got in his car and drove away. Uncle Charlie walked up to me,

"Why was Edward Cullen in my house?"

"I asked him to come over," I smiled, "I needed some help with my Biology homework."

Uncle Charlie smiled –I suppose anything that made me happy was in his good graces. So we went back into the house, as the day went passively. Time just didn't seem to go fast enough for me. Edward said he would be back, but I didn't exactly know when that was, so it seemed even more like a dream. Something that I wished was true with all my heart…

* * *

"Good night, Uncle Charlie," I said before leaving for the stairs and retreating to my bedroom. After brushing my teeth and heading off to bed, I stopped. Something was a little off…

I didn't remember opening the window. I went and looked outside… I never noticed how beautiful the stars were at night… Then, out of some feeling of suspicion, I looked at the tree –attempting to see if anyone was in it. Nothing… I had a strange feeling of anticipation, as if I was subconsciously waiting for something…

"Are you looking for something?"

I jumped, despite knowing exactly who it was. I turned to see Edward lying on my bed.

"Edward!" I smiled, "You came!" I ran to my bed and sat on the edge.

"I did say I would come back, didn't I?" he smiled back.

"I'm so glad you're here," I said. I couldn't help myself –I was just so happy whenever he was around. He motioned for me to come beside him, and I did.

"I have a question," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you always wear sweaters and pants?"

"Is there anything wrong with that?" I asked, stalling. I needed to think of something.

"No, I was just wondering."

"I like long sleeves and pants. They're comfy," I replied. It wasn't a lie –I really _did_ feel comfortable in them. I just didn't tell him the underlying reason.

I rested my head in his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. Not realizing how tired I was, I fell asleep in his cold arms.

* * *

"AH!" I screamed helplessly as I woke up. I felt the tears run down my face.

"Bella?" Edward's voice sounded close in the darkness. I couldn't answer –all I could do was sob softly. I felt his arms around me, pulling my face into his icy, hard chest. "Shh, Bella, Shh," he whispered. I whimpered –my dreams seemed too much like reality –even if it was madness.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I-I had a bad dream…" I told him miserably. I felt like a helpless child. Edward didn't deserve that. He shouldn't be condemned to such idiocy with a human like me.

"It was just a dream," he soothed, "Try and go back to sleep."

"I-I don't know if I can…" I said sadly. I didn't know what to expect.

Edward pressed his cold lips against my ear, humming a simple melody with his angelic voice. Strangely, it calmed me. Soon, I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up, knowing that it was morning. I recalled everything about last night, not sure if it was a dream or not. But my outburst would surely lead to trouble. But it didn't matter. I would tell him today, tell him everything. I just needed to find the right timing…

"Your hair looks like a haystack, but I like it."

I sat up, almost too abruptly. Edward was sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of my room… Wait, since when did I have a rocking chair? I guess since I was actually alive now, I noticed things I never did before.

"Edward!" I threw off my blanket and ran to him, "You stayed!" I jumped into his lap.

He laughed, "Of course."

Then I remembered something important. "Wait, Uncle Charlie!" I gasped.

"He's already left."

"Oh," I sighed, "That's a relief."

We walked out of my room and went down the stairwell.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked.

"First thing's first," he replied, "Breakfast."

I threw my hands over my throat, shock crossing my face. Edward's face became shocked, too. Was he surprised that I reacted so quickly? I was going to die, and now that I was alive, I would definitely mind. Goodbye Uncle Charlie, Aunt Cathy…

"I didn't mean it like that," his expression became apologetic.

"Sorry…" I relaxed my position, "I shouldn't have even thought of that…"

"Shall I rephrase?" he smiled, "Breakfast for the human."

"That's… better…" I blushed, looking down. After everything, I still thought… Insanity.

We went into the kitchen. I fixed myself a bowl of cereal. I was sure that Uncle Charlie wouldn't mind that I took some of his Frosted Flakes –he would be thrilled that I took a break from my diet of granola bars.

"That doesn't look very appetizing," Edward remarked.

"Yeah…" I agreed, "I'm not used to eating cereal…" But it was surprisingly good. Looks _can_ be deceiving. "So, what do you want to do today?" I asked. From now on –as long as he wasn't bored with me –it would be his choice.

"Hmm…" he deliberated for a moment, "Would you like to meet my family?"

I dropped my spoon, small drops of milk splashing into my face, in effect. His family? As in, a family of vampires? He did say that they had an argument about me… What if they didn't approve? What if they didn't _like_ me? What if they hated me down to their deepest core for stealing away a member of their family? My stomach churned.

No. It would be _his_ choice.

"Sure," I smiled as I finished my breakfast, "Let me just get dressed."

I ran upstairs and into my room. I rummaged through my closet until I found the outfit that Aunt Cathy intended me to wear yesterday. It was funny –she bought it so I could keep my secret, but now, it would just help me reveal my secret.

I wore a green, sleeveless dress that reached below my knees and a purple button-down sweater. I put on my white knee-high socks and black shoes. I brushed my long brown hair as I let it rest across my shoulders. I looked in the mirror.

"There. I look decent," I sighed. Thank you, Aunt Cathy.

I went back down the stairs. I suddenly felt a pair of cold arms around my waist. Edward steadied me.

"Don't be ridiculous," his lips were to my ear, "You are utterly indecent. Nothing should ever look so tempting –it's unfair."

"I can go change," I offered.

"Don't be absurd," he smiled.

We walked to the driveway and –no surprise –his shiny silver Volvo was there. It would be a good idea for him to drive. I didn't know where he lived, after all.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked.

"Huh?" I turned to face him.

"Last night, you woke up from a nightmare…"

"Oh yeah…" I looked down, "Thanks… Umm, sorry…"

"It's fine."

"Umm… Edward…?" I called.

"Yes?"

"What is your family like?" I asked.

"You have nothing to worry about," he smiled, "They all have gained a lot of self-control. Especially Carlisle."

"That's not what I'm worried about," I told him, "I mean, you said you had an argument…"

He laughed once without humor, "You're going to a house full of vampires and you're worried about if they'll like you or not." I looked down. "They'll love you," he reassured.

"I sure hope so…" I said.

Then the car stopped. My heart stopped. We were already there? A large mansion-like home in the middle of the forest… It just made me more anxious. Edward opened my door and helped me to the front porch.

"Edward, I'm nervous," I admitted, looking up at him.

"Don't be," he pressed his lips gently on mine. And with that, he opened the door. We went inside.

There was a grand piano on an elevated part of the floor, a TV, a couch, staircase, glass wall... It wasn't too bad. It seemed… normal. Until I noticed the two people standing in front of us. One I knew –Carlisle –the other was a beautiful woman who looked in her twenties.

"Welcome back, Edward," she smiled.

"This is Bella," he introduced, "Carlisle, I'm sure you've met her before."

"Yes, it's very nice to see you again, Bella," Carlisle smiled.

"My name is Esme," the woman shook my hand, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"You, too," I said. This made me feel a little better.

I looked at the piano again. I wondered which member of the family played… Was it Edward? I immediately thought of my song. Esme noticed my unfocused eyes.

"Do you play?" she asked.

"Umm… a little bit… I'm more of a guitar player, though."

"Did Edward tell you that he plays?"

"No, he didn't," I shot a glance at him.

"Edward, you should play her something," Esme turned her attention to him.

"Oh no," he shook his head, "I don't want to show off."

"Nonsense," she gently pushed him to the piano.

"Alright," he smiled widely, "But only if Bella agrees to play one of her own songs, too."

"No," I blushed, "I'm terrible."

Then Alice and Jasper came from upstairs and approached us. Jasper stayed a safe distance away from me.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice greeted as she kissed my cheek. I stiffened. What was that supposed to mean?

"Hi, Alice," I greeted back nervously. I could hear Edward snarling behind me.

"Umm… Hi, Jasper," I looked at him. He just looked away. Alice whispered in my ear,

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me –all of us. He's going to take it very well." I stared at her with wide eyes, horrified. She knew.

"Bella," Edward called. I turned to face him. He motioned for me to sit beside him, and I did. "Ladies first," he offered.

"Oh, fine," I blushed. I decided to just make a song on the spot. Something that was meant for our situation… I searched through my own memories for a tune that I never used. (For story purposes, I'm going to use Decode by Paramore)

I nervously pressed on the keys as the lyrics came to life on its own.

_The truth is hiding in your eyes  
And it's hanging on your tongue  
Just boiling in my blood  
But you think that I can't see  
What kind of man that you are  
_

I hesitated on the next line.

_If you're a man at all…_

I stopped. It came out a little angrier than I'd intended it to be.

Edward laughed, "That's very appropriate."

"I told you I was terrible…" I looked down.

"You're so good!" Alice chirped.

"Beautiful voice," Esme remarked.

"OK, now it's your turn," I looked at Edward as I removed my hands from the keyboard.

Then he began.

I felt my eyes widen. I heard a few chuckles from his audience. I couldn't believe that such a difficult piece was being played with just one hand.

"This is something I made for Esme and Carlisle," Edward said.

"It's great…" I said, still staring. Soon as Edward finished his piece, he played a different tune. Something more mellow… I recognized the tune from last night when he put me to sleep.

"You inspired this one," he said, "It's a lullaby."

"It's beautiful…" I noticed that we were alone in the room now.

I thoughtlessly leaned me head against his shoulder. Emotions that I hadn't felt in such a long time washed over me. I loved him –it was obvious. But I've never felt such intense emotion. My heartbeat thudded even louder.

Then the song stopped all too soon.

"Would you like to see the rest of the house?" he offered.

"Sure," I said as he led me up the stairs. "So, which one is your room?" He opened a door, which I assumed was his. I went in.

There was a large shelf filled with CDs, a stereo system, and a black couch. There must have been thousands of CDs in there.

"How do you arrange your collection?" I asked.

"By year, and then by preference." I sat down on the couch, and he sat down beside me. Now seemed like the perfect time.

"Edward…?"

"Hmm?"

"I need to… show you something…"

"Yes?" he waited.

I stood up and walked to the wall. How would I start? I took in a deep breath and faced him. He had a curious look on his face, eyes filled with questions. I became nervous, my heart beating like a drum to a fast song.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I've been lying to you, Edward…" I began as I started to unbutton my purple sweater. I did it as slowly as possible, one button at a time. "What I'm about to show you… is the real reason…" I began with the second button, "Why I always wear sweaters and pants, why I stopped writing…" I undid the third, "Why I have nightmares…" Then the fourth, "Why I've been so depressed…" I paused when I finished the last one, "And the reason why I came to Forks…"

I allowed the sweater slide down my arms until it reached the ground. I felt his penetrating gaze burn through my skin. Telling him my secret seemed painful, but I had to. I looked down as his eyes –I'm sure –were looking at all the scars and cuts…

"What… happened…?"

"… My parents," I winced. The memory was as painful as always. "It started about four years ago… At first, they seemed nice… But there was withdrawal of affection. They became more violent…" I felt tears burning my eyes. "My compound fracture… was a metal bat to the leg… My legs have scars, too…"

"But _these_ cuts weren't because of them…" my voice broke as I showed him my wrists. This was the hardest part. "I wanted the pain to stop… I didn't want to live anymore…" I felt my knees tremble, and then they were on the floor. "They were arrested… But I still remember everything as if it were just yesterday…"

There I was, sitting miserably on the floor. I could see my own face from Edward's point of view… pathetic. And all I could do was hide my face in my hands and sob. I was worse than pathetic.

"Shh, Bella," his voice sounded closer, "It's OK." I felt his arms wrap around me. I hugged him. I needed him. "I promise I won't ever hurt you."

"I'm sorry for lying to you," I cried, "You've been so honest with me and…"

"Bella," he caught my face in his hands, "It's alright. You don't need to be sorry about anything." He wiped my tears with his thumbs. "As long as you need me, for as long as it's best for you, I'll be here for you."

"Thank you…" I whispered.

Then his lips were on mine. It was difficult for me to remain still –my arms wanted to wrap around his neck. I balled my hands into fists –I wasn't going to make it any more difficult for him. Once again, I was out of air. He pulled away.

"You always stay so still when I kiss you," Edward noticed.

"It's difficult enough for you to resist my scent," I explained, "I'm afraid that if I do anything, it might make it harder for you."

"So are you scared?"

"I don't think you're that scary," I told him. He let go of me, throwing me out of balance. My hands were on the floor, supporting my weight as I sat on the floor.

Edward was on the other side of the room. "You really shouldn't have said that," he smiled widely, baring his teeth. He crouched down, as if he were a predator, about to attack his prey. I heard him growl –just like a mountain lion would.

Then I was airborne, my face a meter away from the ceiling. Suddenly Edward appeared and he launched himself towards me, the two of us landing onto the couch. I tried to right myself, but he wouldn't have that. With his arms around me –like a steel cage –he wrestled me down. But he was in complete control. Then I felt his lips at the hollow base of my neck.

"You were saying?" he asked.

"You're a very terrifying monster," I breathed. The corners of his mouth curve up –he was victorious. I guess it was my fault –I dared him to show me something scary. My gaze met his, and I couldn't look away. I was dazzled.

Then I heard the door open.

"Alice? Jasper?" he looked up.

"Hey, Edward," Alice said, "It sounded like you were having a party, so we came to see if you would share." I stiffened.

Edward's grip on me tightened, "I'm sorry. I'm not willing to share."

"Very funny," Jasper said, "We came because Alice saw a thunderstorm coming tonight."

"So, wanna' play ball with us tonight?" Alice offered.

"Of course," he smiled.

"We're playing baseball?" I asked.

Edward looked down at me, "_You'll_ be watching."


	17. Game

**Chapter 17: Game**

I got out of my outfit and changed. I wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a red t-shirt on top. I wore blue jeans and rubber shoes and topped everything off with a blue cap as I tied my hair into a ponytail. I was going to watch the Cullens play baseball, and I needed to dress accordingly. I went downstairs.

"Where are you going, kiddo?" Uncle Charlie asked.

"Edward's taking me to watch baseball," I smiled.

"Really?" his voice showed his concern, "Are you sure it's alright for you to…?"

"I'm only going to watch the game, so I'll be far away from the equipment," I reassured.

"So, Edward Cullen, huh?"

"Yeah, he's a really nice guy."

Then the doorbell rang.

"That's got to be him!" excitement showed in my voice.

"I'll get the door," Uncle Charlie offered. What would happen next?

Uncle Charlie opened the door. Edward came in.

"Good evening, sir," Edward greeted.

"Hello, Edward," Uncle Charlie greeted back, "Oh, and just call me Charlie." This made me a little nervous. I had no idea why, though. "So, you have my girl watching baseball?"

"Yes, sir… Umm, Charlie."

"Just make sure she isn't home too late. And don't let her near any of the equipment," Uncle Charlie warned.

"Sure," Edward promised. He turned his attention to me, "Are you ready to go?" I nodded. We walked out the door.

"Put on your seatbelts!" Uncle Charlie choked out after us.

I was surprised when I looked at the driveway. It wasn't Edward's silver Volvo this time. It was a monster truck. We were obviously going somewhere off-road then.

I climbed in. Edward was in his seat before I even hoisted myself up. When I got to the seat, I was baffled by a set of seatbelts. It took a little longer than it should have for me to buckle myself in.

"You look nice tonight," Edward commented as he began to drive.

"Thanks," I blushed, "So where is the field?"

"Somewhere in the woods."

"I don't think this truck can maneuver between trees…"

"Once we get to the wood, we'll travel on foot."

"More hiking, excellent," I said sarcastically.

"No, we'll run," he corrected. Run? I hadn't forgotten about last time.

"I think I'm going to be sick…"

"Don't worry. You just have to close your eyes."

"I guess so…"

Once again, the vehicle stopped. Well, he _did_ like to drive fast. Before I could even blink, Edward already unbuckled himself. He leaned over to help me.

"I'll get those," I said weakly –the memory made me sick; "You go ahead."

He sighed, "Looks like I'm going to have to tamper with your memory."

"Tamper with my memory?" I repeated as I undid my seatbelts.

"Something like that," he said.

I jumped down. Before I even knew it, Edward was standing in front of me. He placed his hand against the jeep, on either side of my head, and he stood close to me, leaving no room for escape. My back met with the metal.

"Tell me what you're worried about," he said. His breath was already disturbing my thought process. His scent was another matter as well. They both desensitized me.

"Of hitting a tree… and getting sick…" I replied. Edward fought back his laughter.

I felt his breath on my neck as kisses ran up and down it.

"Are you still worried now?"

"Yes… About hitting trees… and getting sick." His nose drew a line up my neck.

"And now?"

"Hitting trees… motion sickness…" I was losing coherency.

"Would I hit a tree?" his voice was in my ear. It echoed in my mind. It was as if he was literally inside my mind. I closed my eyes.

"No… but I might…" It took everything I had to just to say one sentence. He kissed the base of my jaw.

"Would I let a tree hurt you?"

"N-no…" I breathed. He smelled an easy victory.

"Then there's no reason to be worried, is there?" His lips were at the corner of mine.

"No…" I gave up. I lost myself. Edward's lips crushed mine. I gave in to my senses. My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. My lips parted.

Edward abruptly pulled away, throwing me off balance. I grabbed onto the jeep for support.

"Damn it, Bella! You'll be the death of me, I swear you will!" he was gasping at the air as if he just suffocated. I did the same.

"I'm sorry…" I breathed.

"Now let's go before I do something stupid again," he growled. I was suddenly on his back. Then the forest became a blur. I immediately closed my eyes. It seemed like we weren't even moving.

"Bella, you can open your eyes now," he said. I did so. Edward set me down gently. I landed butt first into a pile of ferns. Edward just laughed. I tried to get up, but ended back into the bush. He laughed harder, making it echo into the forest.

I got up and began to stomp away.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to watch a baseball game," my voice came out more severe than I intended.

"You're going the wrong way," he pointed out.

"Well, seeing as someone isn't interested, I'm on my own."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"'Bella, you'll be the death of me,'" I quoted, imitating the angry tone that he had used.

"It's not your fault."

"Then what was that about?"

"I easily get angry at myself. I've got a bad temper, you see."

"I'll say."

Edward laughed as he led me to the field. I saw everyone –Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie. We walked up to them.

"Hey, I'm Emmett," he smiled, "Nice to meet ya."

"I'm Bella," I said, "It's nice to meet you, too."

"And this is Rosalie," he introduced.

"Hi." I greeted. She looked away harshly.

"Was that you, Edward?" Esme asked.

"Yes," he smiled.

"OK, let's start!" Emmett was enthusiastic.

Edward, Carlisle, and Alice went up against Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. Esme was the referee –I went to stand with her.

"Esme, you aren't playing?" I asked.

"I'm the referee," she explained, "I just want to keep it honest."

"Do they cheat?"

"Oh, you should see the arguments they get into," she laughed. Then stopped, "Actually, never mind what I said. You shouldn't."

"OK."

I didn't really understand that much about baseball. But I could see that Alice was pitching, and Emmett was batting. I must have blinked because Alice wasn't holding the ball anymore. I heard loud thunder as Emmett swung. I guess this was why they needed a thunderstorm to play. I saw a stream of white fly into the woods as Edward chased after it.

"Homerun?" I asked.

"Wait," Esme said. Then she must have seen something that I didn't. "Safe!" she announced as Edward came out from the forest, ball in hand. "You see," she explained, "Emmett is the strongest, but Edward is the fastest."

"Go Edward!" I cheered. As long as I was watching, might as well do something productive.

Then Alice gasped aloud. We all turned our attention to her.

"What is it, Alice?" Rosalie asked.

"Someone's coming," Edward answered when Alice couldn't.

"How many?" Emmett started cracking his knuckles.

"Three," Alice said, "But it doesn't have to turn into a fight."

"What do we do, then?" Jasper asked. They all turned to Carlisle.

He deliberated for a moment, "Let's just continue the game. Since Alice sees them as no threat."

Just then, my eyes flashed to the forest. There were three of them. One was blonde, one was a redhead, and the one in the middle –obviously the leader –had black hair. They approached the Cullen family, and the Cullens did the same. They met halfway.

"Hello," Carlisle greeted.

"Hello," the leader said, "We just heard you playing, and we were wondering if we could join in."

"Actually we were just about to finish up."

"I am Laurent," he introduced, "And these are James and Victoria."

"I am Carlisle. These are Esme, Alice and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie, and Edward and Bella."

The one named James sniffed the air. Would he be able to tell that I was human? He soon answered my question,

"So, you brought a snack."

I stiffened. Edward ran in front of me, arms spread out defensively. James snarled. Edward growled. Both looked like they were ready to pounce –to fight to the death.

"Edward," Carlisle said.

"James," Laurent called, "We will not hunt in this territory."

James relaxed his position, but kept his crimson-red eyes. Edward still kept his defensive position.

"Perhaps we could discuss this in a more proper setting," Carlisle offered.

"Of course," Laurent agreed.

"We'll meet at the house," Carlisle faced Edward.

"Bella," Edward called, "Let's go." And I was on his back again. I closed my eyes. This trip wasn't as smooth as before. He was tense –fuming.

Then I was sitting in the back of the jeep, all buckled in, and beside Emmett. Alice sat in front, beside Edward. He drove away furiously, and he didn't seem intent on bringing me back home.

"Edward, where are you taking me?" I asked gently.

"Somewhere faraway and safe."

I began to panic. This couldn't be happening.

"Edward," Alice said.

"I've seen his mind, Alice. He isn't going to stop until he gets what he wants." I stiffened. I was being hunted.

All I could think about was Uncle Charlie and Aunt Cathy, and what it would do to them if I suddenly disappeared. I needed to get away. I started to undo the first buckle as silently as possible. But when I finished, it made a clicking sound. I was sure they all heard it.

"Emmett," Edward said meaningfully. He obeyed, holding me down so I couldn't move.

"You can't do this, Edward!" I panicked, "Uncle Charlie might call the FBI on you or something!"

"We've been in that position before."

"You don't understand! I'm his only niece, Edward! And think about my aunt! It would kill _both_ of them!"

"She's right, Edward," Alice said, "There must be another way."

"There are no other options," he hissed through his teeth. No other options, huh? I felt challenged.

"Well, _I_ have an idea," my voice became cold, severe, "Does anyone want to hear it?"

"No!" Edward shouted. This time, I didn't flinch. I was doing this for him; he had no reason to be mad at me.

"Alice gets off this car right now and runs to my house. She'll go into my room and stuff my bag with some clothes or something. Then she puts the bag in the passenger seat of my car."

"Go on," Alice said.

"OK, you guys drop me off near my house, and I run home crying. Uncle Charlie will hear me, get worried, and come outside. I ignore him and run to my car and drive away. Edward comes to my house and tells Uncle Charlie that Emmett accidentally swung his bat near me and I freaked out and ran away. Obviously, Uncle Charlie will understand why and get worried, so Edward tells him that he'll look for me and talk some sense into me. That way, Uncle Charlie doesn't get the police involved, and we can disappear for as long as you want."

"That's a good idea," Emmett remarked, "It might just work."

"Fine," Edward finally agreed, stopping the car, "Alice, you've got one minute."

"OK," she said and disappeared. Edward kept driving until we were at the end of the street.

"Emmett, you can let go now," I reminded.

"Sorry," he released me.

"Bella," Edward called, "You have five minutes before I storm in and take you myself. Understand?"

"Yes," I said as I jumped out of the car.

I ran as fast as I could, working at the tears. I needed to think of something that would definitely make me lose control. Anything.

I thought about my dark past, and it worked. I found myself crying at the top of my lungs as I approached my house.

"Bella?" I heard Uncle Charlie as he ran out the door. I cried harder, knowing that I had to ignore him. "Bella, what's wrong?" his voice became more urgent.

I ran to my car, slamming the door. I noticed the bag on the passenger seat. With a heavy heart, I stomped onto the gas pedal, speeding away as fast as possible.

"Bella!"

That made me cry even more, hearing his pained voice as I drove away heartlessly. The tears streamed miserably down my face.

"_I TOLD YOU NOT TO LET HER NEAR THE EQUIPMENT!_"

It was soft, but I could still hear it loud and clear. It broke my heart to lie to him.

"_YOU'D BETTER BRING HER BACK OR ELSE!_"

"_BELLA!_" I heard Edward shout after me. I continued driving away.

I stopped at the mouth of the woods –I was intoxicated. I leaned my head against the steering wheel and bawled my eyes out.

"Bella?" Edward asked. I didn't notice him open the passenger door and come in. I ignored him and continued to cry. "I think I should drive," he said quietly.

"No!" I cried. His arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me from the seat. He carefully placed me on the passenger's seat, as he sat on the driver's seat. He began to drive.

My vision was blurred by my tears. I couldn't really tell what was happening anymore. I felt myself being carried in Edward's stone cold arms.

Before I became unconscious, I felt Edward's cold, rushed lips on mine for the last time.

**

As Bella slept, everyone was in distress.

"_I'll do whatever it takes to make you safe again. I promise that I'll return to you as soon as possible, my love." –Edward._

"_I have to keep her safe, for Edward." –Cullens._

"_Let the games begin." –James. _


	18. Trick

**Chapter 18: Trick**

I woke up. The sunlight penetrated through the glass and burned through my eyelids, smoldering my eyeballs. I forced my eyes open to find a white ceiling. I was in a bed. I sat up too abruptly, my head whirling.

I was in a hotel room. Alice and Jasper were sitting on couches; their unfocused eyes were on the TV.

"Alice? Jasper?" my throat was hoarse.

"Good morning, Bella," Alice greeted. Both faced me.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"We're in Phoenix."

"But… why?"

"We decided to split you and Edward up, to leave a false trail for James."

Edward was gone? I wasn't in Forks? … What about Uncle Charlie!? And Aunt Cathy!?

"What about my uncle? And my aunt?" panic was obvious in my tone.

"Calm down, Bella," Jasper said. And I did. This annoyed me.

"Jasper, you really don't have to do that," I said.

"Esme and Rosalie are watching your uncle," Alice explained, "As for your aunt…"

"Alice!" I grew frightened. The feeling died away immediately. "Jasper!" I scolded, glaring. Once again, the negative emotions in me vanished.

"I can't help it, Bella," he sighed, "Your emotions are way too high right now."

"Then why can't you let them?"

"Because I'll feel it."

"Oh, right… Sorry."

"Anyway," Alice interrupted, "Edward will call if anything new happens. In the meantime…"

"I'm sorry you guys are the ones who have to put up with me," I looked down. Wait… These aren't my clothes. "Why am I…?" my voice trailed off.

"Oh, you and Esme exchanged clothes to confuse the scent."

"OK," I got up. The pants were a bit too long. I rolled them up. "So, what time is it?"

"Afternoon," Alice answered, "Are you hungry?"

"Not really…"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Time to order room service then," she went over to the telephone. It didn't make sense to me until… Edward must've given her specific instructions… I sighed.

* * *

Time went by passively. I went into the state where time seemed frozen. Or at least, where my body remained still and unmoving as the passage continued mercilessly without my consciousness present. I lost my sense of time.

I couldn't trust my calm emotions. Not while Jasper was around. I felt like screaming and shouting aloud and breaking into hysterics. But no, he wouldn't have that now, would he? He must've received specific instructions from Edward, too.

Several times did these vampires' special abilities get on my nerves. Like when Alice foresaw things that didn't make sense, such as: James with a video camera in a ballet studio, or James standing near a payphone. What relevance did these have with my current situation? Like I would go anywhere with the eagle eyes of two vampires on me.

Also, when Jasper finally decided to release his powers on me for a few minutes. I took that moment to my advantage.

"This will never work! What if James and Victoria actually find out where I am? What if they decide to take my uncle? What if they decide to take my aunt? You can't protect them forever!" I had shouted at Alice. Even after I called Aunt Cathy to tell her to call me back, I still felt uneasy. No, uneasy didn't even begin to describe my feelings.

And then Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder, and I felt a wave of lethargy wash over me. Then my eyes closed without my permission as I realized what was happening. Even though I was completely aware, I gave in.

Stupid special abilities.

Then the phone rang. Alice answered. It was Edward. As soon as she held out the phone, I took it from her.

"Edward?"

"Bella," he sighed in relief.

"Edward, I miss you so much."

"I do, too. I'm coming over tomorrow. And then we'll be together again."

"That's great…" I began to tear up.

"I have to go now. See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Then the line went dead.

I felt hopeful. Edward and I would be reunited soon. I wouldn't mind being in a hotel room with him. It would be heaven. But that hope was shattered…

A few hours later, Jasper left to check us out of the hotel. The phone rang, and Alice said it was for me... Aunt Cathy…

"Hello?"

"Bella?"

"Uncle Charlie…?"

"Bella, wha…"

"Hello?" I asked again. Maybe the line went dead.

"Did you really think you could get away from me so easily?" My mouth fell open… James… he got to Uncle Charlie… "I know everything: where you are, Edward's schedule; everything."

"Bella, what's wrong?" Alice asked me.

"If you tell her anything, your uncle pays for it," he threatened.

"It's nothing," I lied, facing her. Then I left the room.

"Now, Bella," James began, "Do you think you can get away from your friends tomorrow? Just answer yes or no."

"No," I told him. It seemed impossible.

"Do you think you could do it for your uncle?" he asked again.

"_BELLA!"_ I heard Uncle Charlie scream.

"Please don't…" I began to beg. He cut me off,

"No talking. Just answer me."

"… Yes…" I gave up. Uncle Charlie shouldn't have to die for me. No one should.

No one.

"Good. Now, meet me in the ballet studio at this address."

James gave me the directions, and I memorized them immediately. I was already resigned to die.

"Repeat after me. Uncle Charlie, I'm fine. Everything's alright."

"Uncle Charlie, I'm fine. Everything's alright," I began to release suppressed tears. This didn't seem fair.

"Please don't worry about me. I need some time to be alone right now."

"Please… don't worry about me. I need some time to be alone right now…" The tears streamed miserably down my face.

"Goodbye, Bella. I'll see you tomorrow," his malicious tone had a smile in it as he hung up.

"Bye… I'll call you when I'm ready to come home…" I closed the phone shut. I went back into the room to face Alice.

"Bella, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I hate having to lie…" I cried. This was truth, just not all of it.

"It's okay, Bella," she hugged me, "Everything will be fine."

I hoped so. I hoped that when James got what he wanted, he would let Uncle Charlie go. I hoped that Edward would not avenge me, and just live on as if I'd never existed. I hoped that…

What was the point in hoping anymore?

My spirit was broken long before this. I had every reason to believe that any hope was shattered by the cruel truths of reality.

I hugged Alice, for the first and last time.

"Thank you…" I whispered.

* * *

Alice had another vision. And because of that, they were watching me more carefully. She probably saw me dying in that ballet studio. This was backed up by my constant feelings of surrender. I had given up. Jasper could sense that.

We were at the airport. Only ten minutes before Edward would walk through the halls and come back to me. The object of my affection… was the unyielding obstacle that stood in the way. I knew that the moment I would see him, all chances of escape would be gone. Vanished.

So why wasn't I moving? Why wasn't I taking action?

I remembered my letter…

_Dear Edward,_

_I'm sorry. By the time you've read this, it would probably be too late. James… he had my uncle. I couldn't just do nothing. I had to save him. He's my only uncle; surely, you must understand that. I just want you to know that… I love you. I will always love you, even when I'm dead. Please, continue to exist as if I didn't. Hadn't. I could imagine how easy that would be for you, and that's all I ask. Move on without me._

_Forgive me,_

_Bella_

"Bella," Alice shook me, breaking my concentration; "He's here." And she said that as if it was a good thing. It was too late. I wasted too much time.

I turned and my heart stopped.

There he was, standing in front of me in his angelic perfection. That angelic face gave me relief, but tortured me all the same. How selfish could I be? Exchanging my happiness for someone's life… It wasn't right at all.

I changed my plan… It would break my heart to do it.

"Edward!" I screamed, flinging myself into his arms.

"Bella," he sighed, wrapping his stone cold arms around me.

"Oh, Edward…" I snuggle into his chest. I couldn't help but cry. But hey, how would you react if you knew that this would be the last time you would see your true love?

"It's okay, Bella," he held me tighter, "Everything's fine. You're safe."

His lips found mine. His sweet, unrushed kiss threw me off. I nearly forgot my plan.

No. I couldn't afford any mistakes. I began at the top of my mental script,

"Can we go and get breakfast now?" I asked.

"Sure," he smiled.

Never releasing my hand, Edward and I headed to the stream of cafés. It made it more difficult for me to carry out my plan. I had to lie.

"I need to go to the bathroom, first," I said suddenly, never looking directly into his eyes. I knew that once I looked into those deep, honey-colored eyes, I wouldn't be able to do it.

We got to the bathroom.

"Wait here," I told him. With one last look, I memorized his face, finally glancing up at his eyes. After one second, I immediately looked away. I headed into the bathroom.

I remembered when I had gone to this airport. I had gotten lost because of this bathroom; it had two doors, directly opposite each other. It would serve as my escape.

I just wished that Edward wouldn't notice the scent.

I ran, pushing through the crowds of people. I didn't even bother looking back. Would they really chase me down in such a public area? I doubted it.

I ran through the doors, out into the street.

"TAXI!" I screamed, waving my hand in the air. It stopped right in front of me, and I rushed in.

I told him the directions, paying him extra to go the fastest that he could. In the meantime, I imagined, dreamed. What would have happened if I had just stayed with Edward?

Easy, I would feel guilty the whole time. Uncle Charlie would have died. I would try to kill myself, and probably be successful. I'd know how to do it, too. I'd cut myself, and once Edward or Jasper got a whiff, they would do the rest.

The car stopped. I nervously ran out. The driver drove off quickly, and I was alone. Too late to turn back. I ran to the door, tripping over first.

"Dammit, Bella!" I screamed at myself, my voice muffled by the concrete. I began to cry again, sobbing aloud.

I was heading towards my death. Why _shouldn't_ I cry? My leg began to hurt. It took all the strength I had for me to get up.

I limped the rest of the way, finding that the door was open. I guess I wasn't surprised. But the lobby was empty.

"_Bella?"_

"Uncle Charlie?" I asked.

"_BELLA!"_

"NO!" I screamed. I ignored the increasing pain on my leg and ran up the stairs. I needed to find him. Save him. But as I neared the top of the stairs, I realized something…

I was tricked.


	19. Finale

**Hey, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for reading my fanfic. One chapter to go and this will all be over. But before that, I would like to congratulate FRK921 for giving the 100th review! As a prize, FRK921 gets to tell me which scene of any Twilight series book he/she would like to see me rewrite! Yay! Just tell me in the review section.**

**BTW, please tell me if you would like a sequel. Otherwise I'll just rewrite my favorite scenes from the Twilight series. As in, mix New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn in one fanfic. **

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**Chapter 19: Finale**

I was tricked.

Esme and Rosalie were protecting Uncle Charlie, so James couldn't have gotten to him. And even if he did, I doubt he could smuggle him in a bag, hiding him from airport security.

I was foolish. I was going to die for nothing. I chuckled darkly to myself. _"Bella, you've really outdone yourself this time with your utter stupidity."_

Suddenly I was in a room of mirrors. James… Speak of the devil, and he shall arrive.

"You…" I hissed through my teeth.

"You know, this was too easy," he smirked. He held a video camera in hand, "And to commemorate my easy victory, I will record all our moments together. Edward will just love it."

He twisted his fingers in my hair and bent down to smell it. I raised my hand and motioned it to slap him. He held it.

"Be careful. You don't want to hurt yourself," he smiled evilly; "I'll do that for you."

He twisted it. I heard a crack. He might as well have shattered the bone, because it felt exactly like that. I wasn't prepared, I screamed. I fell to my knees while he still held my arm. I was sure he enjoyed it.

"This is just lovely," he commented. I spat right into his face.

Wrong move. His grip on my arm tightened, causing another cracking sound. But no, he wasn't done yet. He threw me to one of the mirrors, shattering it. I could feel the blood trickling down the side of my face. It made my head whirl.

"I just hope that this will be enough to make Edward come and look for me. And take his revenge," he deliberated theatrically, sarcastically. He smiled, "Perhaps this will do it."

He stood above me. His foot was on my leg. Just like my arm, he twisted it lightly –but enough to cause me to scream again. Luckily, it wasn't the foot that had the compound fracture, but still…

I closed my eyes, "Please don't…"

"Begging for mercy? Ah, brilliant idea."

That wasn't what I meant.

"Edward, don't… Don't…" I cried, my eyes still closed, "Please don't…"

Suddenly, the pressure on my foot disappeared. I heard two boulders crash against each other. My body fell limply to the floor. I couldn't take it anymore. But I wished I could open my eyes to see what was happening.

"Ah, Edward."

Edward?

"Bella!"

I heard shattering glass.

"You're faster than the others" –shattering glass –"But not stronger."

"I'm strong enough to kill you!" Edward snarled fiercely.

It was as if there was a thunderstorm in the room. There was more breaking glass. I was suddenly off the ground –in Edward's cold arms, no doubt. I felt the sensation of flying, but that feeling was quickly cut off. I was back on the ground. My leg and arm throbbed. My head stung. I heard more crashing boulders.

One thing was off. I felt my hand being lifted. Something cool against it… And something inject into my skin. Then came more thunder.

I became unconscious.

* * *

"Bella? Bella, can you hear me?"

Edward…

Then there was fire. My hand was on fire.

"My hand…" I breathed, "It's… burning…"

"He bit her," I heard Carlisle say.

"What do we do?" I heard Alice's high-pitched voice raise about three octaves higher.

"You need to add pressure to her foot –it's twisted."

I felt something heavy on my foot.

"Edward, you have to get the venom out."

"How?"

"I'm working on her head right now. I have to stop the bleeding."

"Carlisle… I don't think I can…"

"You must!"

I was sure that it was going to be painful, but I couldn't imagine anything more painful than this burning sensation.

"Somebody hold me down…" I said. I felt my arms being pinned down. If this was going to be painful, I would be thrashing and kicking, and that wouldn't help.

Then came the sting. I bit my own tongue, so I wouldn't scream. I could taste the blood. And after a minute, the pain stopped.

"We'd better get out of here before Jasper and Emmett be burning us along with the building," I heard Alice say.

I knew I was off the ground, in Edward's arms. I could smell him.

"Edward…" I breathed, forcing my eyes open. I looked at his face… The angel that saved me from death…

"Everything's alright now, Bella," he crooned soothingly. It didn't help at all with my attempt to stay awake.

"Edward, I… I'm sorry… I…" he cut me off,

"Shh, Bella. Just sleep."

He hummed my lullaby softly. My eyelids felt heavier. And then I was unconscious again.

* * *

_Beep. Beep._

Everything seemed like just a blur…

_Beep. Beep._

I couldn't remember much…

_Beep. Beep._

Maybe it was all just a dream…

_Beep. Beep._

A horrible, horrible dream…

_Beep. Beep._

In that case, where was I?

_Beep. Beep._

_And what was with that annoying beeping?_

My eyes shot open. A white room… I was in a hospital, wasn't I? I mean, seeing as heaven doesn't usually have annoying beeping noises, and that it hurt with every breath I took, that seemed like the only logical explanation.

"Bella?" I heard a voice… A soft, velvety voice.

"Edward?" I turned to my side. There he stood.

So it wasn't a dream… This angel truly existed… Or I was hallucinating…

"How are you?" he smiled. It made it seem even more like just a hallucination.

"I don't know…" I looked to the ceiling, desperate to get a hold of reality. Perhaps I was talking to myself. "That really all depends…"

"On?"

"Whether or not you're real and I'm just dreaming."

The beautiful hallucination laughed, amused. "You never cease to surprise me."

I frowned. Equilibrium disappeared, I couldn't tell what was real or not, and all he could do was stand there and laugh. This was definitely illusory.

Suddenly, Edward's face was just a few inches from mine. The annoying beeping became faster, and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. He caught my face in his hands.

"I know one way to prove you're awake," he smiled, his breath filling my nose. It desensitized me.

"Edward…" I began. He cut me off, crushing his lips to mine. The beeping stopped. I was absorbed. How long had I gone without his lips? Once again, I was out of air. He pulled away gently.

"Well?" he waited.

"I guess I'm awake…" I breathed, "I'm… sorry…"

"You should be," he agreed, frowning, "For nearly taking yourself away from me."

Then I remembered everything. I turned to my side and closed my eyes. I felt tears fall miserably down my face.

"Bella, what's wrong?" his tone became urgent, "Does something hurt?"

"No," I whimpered, "I just…" I continued to sob softly.

"Bella?" he asked.

"I deserved to die back there…" I replied after a long minute. It was true, after all. "How could I be so stupid?" I cried, talking to myself now.

"He tricked you, Bella. That hardly deserves the death penalty."

"He made me think he had Uncle Charlie… He used a recording from that night where I ran away… And I was the idiot who fell for it…"

"You were worried about your uncle –I doubt you could rationalize properly with even the slight possibility of him being in danger."

"Well I should have. Besides, Esme and Rosalie were protecting him. There couldn't have been a way for James to get to him. I didn't even consider that…" my voice broke.

I heard the door.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard an unfamiliar voice say. It must have been a nurse.

"I think she might be in some pain," Edward lied smoothly.

I heard some tinkering of the equipment. "That should do it, sweetie," the nurse said before leaving.

"What did she do?" I asked sleepily.

"Morphine," he answered.

"But I don't want to go to sleep yet," I protested weakly. It was already taking its effects, and I was helpless to resist.

"Just sleep, Bella," he crooned, "It's not your fault. You're safe now. I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered. His lips pressed against my forehead with the softest pressure.

I became unconscious.


	20. Prom

**Chapter 20: Prom**

Why? Why? How did it come to this?

"Please, don't do this," I begged.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Edward grimaced.

"Edward, no!" I cried. But it was already too late.

He bought the ticket. And now, we _had_ to go to the prom.

"You're overreacting, Bella," he laughed, "It's just a dance."

"Do you or do you not see what I'm wearing?" I pointed to my feet, "These are screaming deathtraps! Just dancing for other people is a death sentence for _me_!"

"Stop worrying, Bella," he said as he led me into the gym.

Sure, sure. He was a talented vampire. Nothing to worry about. I was a fragile human wearing blue two-inch-high heels, stockings –obviously to hide my scars, a blue dress that reached my knees, a yellow sweater, and a brace on my arm.

Of course, there was something to worry about!

We walked over to the Cullens' table, where all the beautiful –stunningly beautiful –vampires were.

"Hey, Edward," Alice greeted, "Hi, Bella."

"Alice…" I grumbled, looking down at my heels. "Are you trying to get me killed?"

"No, I was preventing you from being a walking fashion disaster. I mean, who wears jeans to a prom?"

"Sensible people," I glared.

"You'll see," Alice smiled, "You'll thank me for this someday."

Someday. But not now. Definitely not now. Preferably not ever.

Edward led me to the dance floor. It was a slow song. I guessed it would be safe enough… If I didn't move.

"Please, Edward, be reasonable," I pleaded again, "I can't dance."

"But _I_ can."

"So how does this work?" I asked.

"Just keep your arms around my neck," he smiled.

I did so. Then we were twirling, my feet were off the ground.

"Oh no…" I whimpered.

"I'm holding you," he said. He stopped; my feet were still off the ground by a foot.

"I'm getting dizzy," I told him. He laughed at me.

"I can actually tell when you're lying now," he smiled.

"Dang," I rolled my eyes.

Suddenly, he stiffened. A large crease appeared on his forehead.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Jacob Black."

What? Where?

Oh. He was walking towards us. But how could I not miss him? He was six feet tall!

"Hey, Bella," he smiled. "Edward…" he hesitated on his name, "Do you mind if I cut in?"

Edward just passed me to him. We were a bit awkward. All we did was just move side to side.

"You look pretty tonight," he remarked.

"Thanks," I blushed.

Awkward silence.

"So, what're you doing here, Jacob?" I asked.

"Would you believe me if I said my dad paid me fifteen bucks to come?" he smiled.

I chuckled, "Uh huh. So, are you at least having fun?"

"It's not so bad, I guess…"

"You need to tell me something, don't you?" I guessed.

"Well..." he hesitated.

"C'mon, Jacob. Just tell me. You need that fifteen dollars to buy parts for your Rabbit don't you?"

"But it's horrible."

"I promise I won't get mad at you."

He bit his lip. "My dad wants you to break up with your boyfriend."

I laughed. "Tell him thanks for his concern. But I'll be fine."

"There's something else," he frowned, "But it's worse."

"It's okay, Jacob," I smiled.

"Well… this is his plural, not mine. He says, 'We'll be watching you.'"

I laughed again as he used his fingers to make air quotes.

"Jacob, you should know that I'm tired of getting mad anymore. So…"

Then Edward came back.

"Bye, Bella. Edward," Jacob walked away.

"Bye, Jake," I called.

I turned to look at Edward. He had a serious look on his face.

"What's the matter?" I asked. "Don't be mad at Billy, okay? He's just worried about me."

"It's his son that's irritating me."

"Oh… But why? Don't kill the messenger."

"He called you 'pretty.' That's practically an insult with how you look tonight."

My lips pressed into a hard line, and my forehead creased. Edward was not stingy when it came to compliments. And he's biased.

"Edward…" I placed my head against his chest.

"Yes?"

"I'm the luckiest person alive right now," I told him.

I realized that. To be with the image of perfection, was such affluence.

"Then I'm the happiest man to have ever existed," he wrapped his arms around me.

He leaned down to kiss me. I was the happiest that I had ever been.

* * *

**I'm making a sequel! Twilight Remix! Who wants to read it? **


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